Harry Potter and the Inferius Shitstorm
by HyenaAA
Summary: Hogwarts has becoming pretty shitty under Umbridge's control for Harry and his friends in their fifth year, but none of them were prepared for the sudden highly infectious Inferi attack from inside the castle!
1. Chapter 1

Harry Potter and the Inferius Shitstorm!

Chapter 1

Underneath the great hall in the kitchens, an imposter house elf smashed a bottle on the stone floor. Within moments the kitchen filled with a toxic gas, poisoning the elves with a highly powerful and contagious poison. Their weak bodies succumbed quickly.

* * *

"As of now, curfew now begins immediately at dinner. No one may leave the great hall until after dinner and any students caught not heading immediately to their common rooms will face immediate detention for two weeks. Any reoffenders will face expulsion" Headmistress Umbridge declared, "Although, some exemptions may be made" her eyes briefly glanced at the Slytherin table.

"What a cunt" Ron whispered under his breathe.

Harry nodded in agreement.

"She's trying really hard. She want's to take you out with a technicality" Hermione whispered.

Harry nodded again, "Of course, she's an old bag. But god damn, I'm hungry" He looked around the great hall and saw similar feelings, as a hundred and so students stared at their empty plates, waiting for Umbridge to finish explaining her new security measure so that they could eat dinner.

"Furthermore, for your safety, all of the castle exits and entrances shall seal from both the inside and outside during curfew. No one gets in or out without special permission from myself, or a trusted member of the staff"

"She's really pushing it this time" Ron growled.

"This is specifically to keep us away from Hagrid" Harry whispered. He looked up at Hagrid, who was seated at the far end of the teachers table beside Proffesor McGonagall. Upon Umbridge becoming Headmaster after Dumbledore's disappearance, she had moved all of Dumbledore's biggest supporters to the far end of the table, to the seats of shame.

"Looks like the Slytherins are loving these new rules, seeing as they don't even get affected" Hermione whispered, motioning over to the Slytherin table.

"Check out Malfoy's smug grin" Seamus whispered, "I'd like to fucking knock him down a peg."

"Wouldn't we all?" Neville sighed.

"I wish we could just jam him down a toilet, like what Fred and George did to that 7th year" Dean laughed, "It kicked ass!"

They all chuckled quietly.

Harry looked around the great hall at the other tables. The Slytherins were all taking in the new rules happily, not a surprise. He checked out the Ravenclaw table and briefly met eyes with Cho Chang. She smiled back at him.

_God Damn I would like to tap that_ Harry thought, _It's been too long. _He fondly remembered his last quickie with Cho Chang in the fourth floor broom closet before checking out the Hufflepuff table. Everyone there had the same expression, boredom and hunger.

He scanned along the room, checking out the teachers reactions to the new security laws. Most had bored looks, except for Professor McGonagall, who had her face in her hand, looking at the ground with obvious disappointment. Hagrid looked slightly unsettled by the new curfew rules, but did not show much else. Professor Snape had the same unhappy asshole look he always had.

Harry's scan stopped at Ginny. She was something special. Something about how she had grown up, and the way she walked, and talked, and carried herself. He had always seen her as a friend, or a little sister, but something had changed about it. It was almost like an infatuation.

_But I can't go after her... I'm with Cho, and she's my best friends sister! But still. if things were only different..._

He sighed to himself. It didn't matter, because right now she was with some other douchebag, Micheal Corner from Ravenclaw.

"More like Cornbag" Harry muttered to himself.

"What was that? You zoned out for a moment" Ron asked Harry with concern.

"Huh? Oh... nothing" Harry regained his focus, "When's this fucking hag gonna be done, am I right, fella's?" He asked. The other guys laughed.

"I think just now, she's doing that weird twitch she always does when she's done talking" Hermione pointed at Umbridge's left hand, which was doing a weird flicking motion.

"That's a weird ... what ever thing" said Ron.

As if on cue, Umbridge finished her speech, "Now that the new measures are in place, I have also instated a new 'social hierarchy'. Myself, my supporters, and my favorite house shall eat first, followed by the rest. Tuck in!"

She sat down as a groan went through the hall.

A moment later the Slytherin table and the few plates closest to Umbridge were suddenly filled with food. A gasp rang out through the hall, because instead of food on the plates, house elf corpses lay on the tables.

"HOLY SHIT!" Someone screamed.

"What is the meaning of this!" Umbridge cried out, jumping to her feet.

The slytherins did the same, out of disgust. They pushed their plates away, backing away from the pile of corpses.

The dead elf on Umbridges plate stirred. It's discolored body twitched and shook, as if it were full of maggots. It's eyes opened, and it immediately grabbed Umbridge's hand and bit into it.

"GET IT OFF ME!" She shrieked, pushing the house elf away, but it only bit harder. She grabbed a knife and stabbed at it, but it only bit harder.

The Slytherins screamed at the dead elves on their table did the same, coming to life and immediately attacking them.

Harry and the others starred in horror as half the Slytherins fled, while the others found themselves backed up against the wall. The elves charged them, and the yscreamed as tiny razor teeth tore into their flesh.

"Let's get the fuck out of here!" Ron shouted, jumping to his feet. Harry joined him, and they rushed to the great hall doors. In an instant they found themselves in an aggressive mob of students all stampeding for the same narrow exit.

"I can't move!"

"Get off me!"

"Get the fuck out the way!"

Students screamed as they grabbed and pushed towards the door, trampling each other in an aggressive rush.

At the back of the mob, Colin Creevey, and his brother Dennis, tried to push through, but they were too small to get through. A small group of the house elves not focused on the Slytherins trapped against the wall swarmed the mob at the door.

"Dennis! Look out!" Colin screamed as the nearest zombie house elf latched onto his leg and bit deep into his calve, "GOD DAMN THAT STINGS!" He grabbed it around it's ears and pushed it away, but a second elf leaped onto his arm and bit into his wrist.

"COLIN!" his little brother screamed, but three house elves converged on him.

At the front of the mob, someone gave way, and students poured out into the entry wall. Those who gained their footing quickest sprinted towards the great doors, ready to flee into the grounds. Zacharias Smith was at the front of this group. He pushed against the doors with all his might, but they were sealed, as the curfew had already begun.

"NO! OPEN UP!" He screamed as a dozen students collided into him, crushing him against the unmoving door.

Harry, Ron and Hermione ran off to the side of the doors, watching the mass crowding at the door.

"They're not opening, the fucking curfew sealed them!" Ron shouted.

"What are we going to do!? What the hell is going on in there?!" Hermione screamed.

"We have to get out of the chaos. Head to the common room!" Harry suggested. They nodded in agreement and set off down a corridor beside several other students with the same idea.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

The trio of friends fled down the corridor and up a few staircases before stopping for breathe.

"Holy... holy shit!" said Ron through panted breathes, "What... what just happened?"

Harry shook his head, breathing heavily, "No... no idea..."

"The elves... they just... did anyone... die?" asked Hermione, in between heavy breathes, "I gotta... I need to sit... Haven't ran like that... forever" She leaned against the wall and slid to the floor.

Harry and Ron followed suite.

"We... we are out... out of shape" Ron panted.

Harry nodded, finally catching his breathe.

"I have no idea what just happened. They looked like they were dead... but then..." He looked over at Hermione, "Any idea?" He asked.

Hermione thought for a moment, "I think I have some ideas. Some kind of dark magic, or something. They looked like corpses before they started... moving. It was like they were zombies"

"Zombies?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, like undead. Shows up a lot in muggle pop culture, not my sort of thing" She explained.

"Sounds kind of spooky" Ron replied.

"Yeah, a bit. Oh God, did you see those Slytherins? Half of them were just pinned against the wall... do you think they got out okay?" Hermione asked with concern.

"I hope not, they'll probably have to go" Ron said, a smile breaking through his lips.

"Yeah, did anyone catch if Malfoy was in that group?" Harry asked.

"Come on guys! Be serious! They could have been killed!" Hermione had genuine concern on her face.

"They're probably fine, Professor McGonagall and Hagrid were in there. They're probably fixing it right now" said Ron in a hopeful tone.

"But... it was just pure panic!" Hermione said shrilly.

"Well... yeah, but it looked like nearly everyone got out. They're probably cleaning up the problem right now" Harry added, but it did not ease Hermione.

"Look, all I know is, Umbridges security measures really didn't help!" Ron said with a laugh.

"You got that right!" Harry laughed back.

Hermione did not laugh, but she did break a smile, "Alright, let's get moving to the common room... it'll be safer there."

They stood up just as a group came around the corner.

"Harry! Ron! Hermione! You guys made it!" Neville shouted with glee. Dean and Seamus high fived behind him. Ginny smiled shyly at Harry.

"Hey, fella's! Any idea whats going on?" Harry asked, "Everyone alright?" He looked over at Ginny with concern.

"Yeah, we got out alright, we were just about to ask you that" Neville replied.

"That shit was fucked back there" Dean added, "So what's the plan?"

"We're heading to the common room, it's probably the safest place for us." Harry ordered. They nodded in agreement.

A moment later the school announcement system went off, and Proffesor McGonagalls voice rang through the halls "ALL STUDENTS PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR DORMITORIES IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT LEAVE UNTIL ORDERED TO. THE SITUATION IS BEING CONTAINED, PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR COMMON ROOMS AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTION"

"Seems clear to me" Ron shrugged.

They headed off.

They could see the painting of the Fat Lady in view when someone called out, "Harry! Oh My God! You're alive!"

Cho Chang and her friend Marietta rushed over.

"Cho! You're alive! Are you okay!" Harry asked. She immediately hugs him and kisses him on the lips.

The rest of the guys make joking noises, but Harry ignores them.

"Oh God, I was so scared, what the fuck is going on?!" Cho hugs Harry again, "We just ran... and ran... we didn't pay attention to where we were going! I'm so happy we found you!" She cries out.

"Hey babe, it's great to see you too!" Harry glances at Ginny, whose looking at the ceiling. He notices Cho's friend Marietta, whose giving him an ice cold glare.

"Look, I know the loudspeaker ordered students to go to their dorms... but the Hufflepuff one is so close to the Great hall... can I stay at the Gryffindor room?" Cho asks, "I mean... it might still be dangerous down there... by the doors"

Harry looks at the others, who are snickering, "Yeah, come on, i'm sure the teachers will understand."

They all enter the Gryffindor common room.

It feels claustrophobically small as the entire house has crowded into the tower.

"What the hell is going on?! What happened to the elves?!" Parvati screams over the wall of noise as students of all ages argue about what they had witnessed in the great hall.

"It's got to be a curse of some kind, maybe Hogwarts is under attack!" Lee Jordan shouts.

"No way, the house elve's have gone rabid! I've read about this sort of thing!" Lavender Brown cries out.

"It's the God damn Armageddon!" A muggle Born second year shouts.

"Zombie elves!" His friend adds.

Fred and George climb up on one of the tables, raising themselves above everyone else. Fred gives out a sharp whistle, silencing the crowd.

"Oi, mates, listen up! Something weird just happened, but this chaos isn't going to help anything! We need a clear head, or I might just go nuts in here, and no one wants that!" George shouted.

"Shut your mouth, you guys love this!" Cormac McLaggen, a large burly sixth year shouts back.

"Hey man, pranks and shit are fun, but this is some serious dark shit going on!" George shouts back.

The room dissolves into shouting again.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Cho Chang and Marietta snuck up into the boy's dormitory, where a couple first years are hiding.

Hermione was the first to speak, "Didn't really expect Fred and George to try to take control there"

Ron shook his head, "They do this sometimes. Not often, but when stuff get's really bad they seem to take some kind of responsibility"

"Still seems weird" replied Harry, "It's really stuffy in there, I think this is something we should try to wait out"

"I've never seen them act like this, those guys are like heroes to the younger hufflepuffs" Cho Chang adds, moving up close beside Harry, "But pretty much anyone who has the balls to mess with the Slytherins now is like a folk hero."

Harry and Ron chuckled. Marietta continued to glare at Harry.

The PA went off again.

"ALL STUDENTS RETURN TO THEIR DORMITORIES IMMEDIATELY. STAY INSIDE YOUR DORMITORIES UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. THE SITUATION IS BEING CONTAINED" Professor McGonagall's voice rang out again.

"Sounds like a repeat" Ron said.

"I wonder why she says contained?" Harry wonders aloud.

* * *

Downstairs in the common room, the door opens again, and a heavily breathing discolored Colin McCreevey stumbles in.

"Woah man, you alright?" a Gryffindor asks him, but Colin brushes him away, before slumping to the floor against the wall.

No one else in the room notices him as his breathing slows except the one concerned Gryffindor. Blood slowly leaks out his eyes like tears as his body turns still.

"Holy shit! Are you okay!?" The helpful Gryffindor cries out, but still no one hears him as the others argue. Neville, Dean and Seamus have climbed up on the table with Fred and George, spearheading a confused five way panic driven argument.

Colin's body stirs for a moment.

"Hey man, are you alright?"

Colin's eyes open. They're glazed over. He looks at the concerned friend for a moment, then with surprising speed, grabs him and sinks his teeth into the young mans neck.

He screams in pain as blood splatters against the wall.

"OH MY GOD!" Parvati shrieks, "Let him go!" She tries to pull the bitten student away, and Colin Creevey releases him,only so that he could instantly sink his teeth into her wrist.

* * *

"Seriously though, I think we should sit this one out, let the teachers handle it" says Ron, "I'm kind of digging the safety of the common-" He's interrupted by an outburst of screams from down below.

"What the-?" They rush out the dormitories and look down below at the common room, where the mass of students are pushing against each other in a panicked out of control mob.

"Is that Colin?" Hermione asks, "Oh God what's he doing!" She screams as he grabs a first grader around the neck and rips off the young boy's ear with his teeth. The dead bodies of Parvati and a young Gryffindor stir behind him.

"They're getting up... what the fuck..." says Ron as the two corpses stand up and rush the panicked mob.

"We have to go. Right now" Harry states.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Gryffindor common room was amok with panic as scrambled around the common room. Katie Bell, one of the Gryffindor chasers, screamed as the zombielike Parvati bit deep into her neck.

"Down the stairs!" Ron shouted, but the spiral staircase was quickly blocked by several students trying to flee up to the dormitory.

"It's too blocked, we're trapped!" Cho Chang screamed.

"Oi! Down here! Climb down!" Neville called up to Harry from the table, "I'll help you guys down!"

"Alright everyone, one at a time, let's go!" Harry helped Cho up over the railing, "Just climb down, Neville, help her down!" Harry ordered. He looked around the room as Cho climbed over the railing to Neville and Dean's outstretched arms. The zombiefied students were busy grabbing and biting the students trapped in the middle of the common room, leaving a narrow exit straight to the door.

"Alright, Hermione next!" Harry ordered, "Once you're down, run straight out the common room, we'll regroup down the hall!" He ordered as Hermione climbed over the railing.

At least seven Gryfindors were stuck at the bottom of the spiral staircase, trying to push their way up as the zombiefied Colin Creevey grabbed the closest one and bit deep into his ribs.

"Help us!" Romilda Vane screamed, reaching out for Ron, "We're stuck!" She was trying to push her way through the mob stuck in the staircase.

Ron reached to help as Harry helped Marietta over the railing.

"Come on, Ron, you're next!" Harry called out, as Neville and Dean helped Marietta onto the table. He turned to see Ron trying to help Romilda Vane.

"We have to help them up!" Ron shouted back as Romilda let out a blood curdling scream.

"What the f-" He mouthed as her eyes glazed over and her skin rapidly discolored.

"Holy shit! Get back!" Harry pulled Ron back as Romilda sunk her teeth into the third year boy sandwiched between her and the stairs. For one brief moment Harry and Ron made out a bite mark in her ankle.

"Holy shit!" Ron shouted again, but Harry shook him by the shoulders, "They're done for, get over the railing!"

Ron nodded and climbed over the railing. Neville and Dean pulled him down onto the table.

"Harry, come on!" Neville shouted.

Harry nodded towards him and climbed up on the railing, but it suddenly gave way.

"DAMNIT!" He shouted as he fell forward, his upper half slamming into the table. The legs buckled and collapsed, knocking him, Ron, Dean and Neville to the floor.

"GO! RUN!" Harry sputtered out as he got up on all fours. He looked up to see a blurry Dean help up Neville and Ron, and he realized his glasses were knocked off. He reached around and quickly found them.

With his vision cleared, he could see his friends rushing out the common room. He got to his feet after him, but the zombiefied Parvati grabbed him.

"Shit! Get off me!" He pushed her away but she held on tight, pinning him against the wall. He tried to hold her back as her biting jaw inched closer and closer to his face. "NO! Not like this!" He pushed as strong as he could and she gave way much faster than expected. Someone had grabbed her by the back of her collar and pulled her off.

"Get up!" Marietta screamed, throwing the zombiefied Parvati aside.

"You saved me!" Harry shouted.

"We're not out of this yet!" Marietta replied. She grabbed a pewter candle stick and smashed the zombiefied Parvati in the back of the head with it.

"Look out!" said Harry, as a zombiefied Katie Bell lunged for Marietta. She spun around and struck Katie Bell's discolored face with the base of the candle stick, knocking her to the ground, then made a sprint for the door. Harry jumped up after her and rushed for the exit, taking this last second chance to get out as the zombiefied students quickly outnumbered and infected the few remaining Gryffindors in the common room.

They sprinted down the corridor out of the common room, but Harry came to a stop about thirty feet away.

In front of him, Fred ans George Weasley were looking over the convulsing body of Lee Jordan. His side was soaked in blood, a clear sign of a bite.

"Holy shit man, we can't just leave him!" Fred pleaded.

"Get up Lee, get the fuck up!" George was on his knees shaking the front of Lee's body.

"He's bit! You have to leave him, he'll bite you soon!" Harry argued, "we have to get away!"

"No way man, he's fine! He was doing great like ten seconds ago!" George argued.

"He's right, you have to leave him, it's too late!" Marietta joined in.

"No one asked your opinion, HufflePuff!" Fred spat, "Come on man, we can carry him!"

Fred, George! They'll be coming out the common room any minute now, dozens of them!"

"No, we can't just leave- ARGH!" George screamed in agony as Lee's body suddenly came to life and bit into his thigh, "Damnit! That stings!"

"GEORGE!" Fred cried as his twin brother began to seizure in agony.

"HARRY! COME ON, GET OVER HERE!" Dean shouted from down the corridor.

"FRED, WE HAVE TO GO, NOW!" Harry slapped Fred's face, bringing him back to reality. He stared at Harry for a second, then broke off in a run down the corridor.

"Let's go!" Marietta shrieked. Harry took one last look at Lee and George before chasing towards Dean.

He almost reached him before hearing, "Oh Fuck!"

Looking back, George had grabbed Marietta's ankle. She fell forward but was quick to get back on her feet. Before she could run, Lee closed in on her. She smacked his head away with the candlestick, but George took his place. He leaned forward to bite her but she blocked him as his teeth wrapped around the candle stick. the zombiefied Lee was quickly back upon her. She would be overwhelmed soon.

"Harry, we have to go!" Dean called out.

"NO! We have to help her!" Harry shouted back.

At the common room door, the zombiefied Katie Bell and Colin Creevey creeped out the door. They immediately saw Marietta struggling against Lee and George, and with surprising speed, charged towards her to finish her off.

"Fucking help me!" Marietta screamed, barely out of reach of Lee and George's snapping jaws.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"HELP ME!" Marietta screamed as the undead Colin Creevey and Katie Bell converged on her.

Time seemed to freeze for an instant as Harry looked between her and Dean Thomas. He saw beads of sweat slowly rolling down his forehead, and he knew what to do.

"Go!" Harry shouted, and they sprinted down the hallway.

"YOU FUCKER! I SAVED YOU! ARGH!" Marietta screamed in agony as she was overwhelmed. Harry looked back one second to see all four zombiefied Gryffindors tearing through her flesh with their teeth. They srinted down the corridor, fear and adrenaline pushing them forward. Harry almost missed it as he ran past an open door.

"HARRY! DEAN! Get in here!" Ron shouted from the doorway.

They both skidded to a halt and spun around to see Ron waving them inside, "There's no time to waste!" He hissed.

They rushed inside, finding themselves in a spare classroom. Hermione, Neville, Seamus, Lavender and Ginny were all lined up against the far wall, looking as if they were feeling the aftershock of a bombshell.

"Holy shit, you guys are alive! What the hell just happened?!" Harry shouted unintentionally.

"Shhh!, we don't know if they can hear us" Ron hissed.

Harry nodded and leaned over to catch his breathe.

"Did you see anyone else? I saw Fred running off, he didn't hear me, where's George?" Ron asked.

Dean shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Ron... he got bit, he didn't make it" Harry said.

Ron looked dumbstruck, as if he had nothing to say.

"He... didn't make it?" Ginny asked.

"No... I'm sorry" Harry repeated. He suddenly couldn't take his eyes off her. She looked so vulnerable. Everything about her lit up a feeling inside him, a powerful need to protect and comfort, to be there for -

"Harry! I was so scared!" Cho Chang wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"Cho! You're alive, you made it!" Harry managed to get out, her hug was quite restricting.

"I was so scared, when we got in here, and I didn't see you... and we just didn't..." She began, but Harry interrupted, "It's alright Cho, I'm here now"

_Damnit, how can I think about Ginny like this? Not when Cho is here, she needs me too._

"Oh God, I'm just so happy you made it... but ..." She released him from her embrace, "Where's Marietta? She was right behind me, where did she go?" She looked around at the others, but they had no idea.

"Did she make it? Harry, where's Marietta?!" She demanded.

Harry shook his head, "She came back for me, but they overwhelmed her. Shes the reason I got out" An intense guilt bloomed in his stomach, as if a hand had gripped his insides and twisted them around.

"But if she saved you... how could she get overwhelmed? How did you get out?" An accusatory glare formed on her face.

"There was too many of them, she was overwhelmed, I'm telling you Cho, there was nothing I could do!" Harry retorted.

"He's right, there was four of them on her, she was too close to the door" Dean backed Harry up.

"But there were two of you! You're Gryffindors! It's your whole... thing, bravery! What the hell?!" Cho Chang quickly looked between the two of them, her eyes welling up with tears, "She saved you! She was my best friend!, how could you abandon her!?" She demanded.

"It was out of hand! They were everywhere!" Harry shot back.

"Back off! You were in the common room! They were everywhere, no one knew what was going on! You ran for it too!" Ginny shouted, "So lay off him! This whole night is fucked, and you're not helping!"

Cho looked from Harry to Ginny, and then the others. They avoided her gaze.

"Oh... I see." She said in a defeated voice.

"Cho..." Harry reached out to her, but she backed away, "I don't want to hear it."

He started t ogo for her, but Ron grabbed his arm, "Harry, listen!" He hissed.

Outside the door, they could hear fast footsteps. When they listened closely, they could hear low breathing and gurgling noises.

"They're coming!" Ron whispered.

"The door!" Ginny hissed, pointing at the slightly ajar door.

"Shit!" Harry and Ron rushed over to close it. Something jammed it. They looked down to see a foot just stepping through, now stuck holding the door open.

"oh fuck" A zombiefied George Weasley's head peeked through the space between the door and the jamb, looking them straight in the eye. A mixture of blood and drool dripped out his open mouth.

"GEORGE!" Ginny screamed.

He let out a gurgly war cry and tried to push the door open.

"NO!" They pushed back, holding him at bay.

"I can hear more coming!" said Ron, and a moment later two more bodies hit the outside of the door. They nearly fell backwards but managed to resist just in time.

"We can't hold this forever!" Harry shouted. Dean jumped in and pushed back against the door.

"What are we going to do!" Ch Chang screamed from the back corner.

"The desk! Push the desk in front of the door!" Hermione ordered, pointing at the hardwood unused teachers desk. Neville and Seamus nodded, rushed over, and pushed it towards the , Ron and Dean jumped out of the way as they pushed it against the door.

"Flip it on it's side!" Harry said.

More of the undead collided with the door on the outside.

"It won't hold!" shouted Ron.

"Get more desks!, shelves, anything!" Harry ordered.

They began piling shelves and desks against the door, but the undead kept piling against the other side.

"Harry, there's not enough stuff in here to hold off all of Gryffindor! We have to get out of here!" Hermioe screamed over the noise of shelves and desks being pushed across the room.

"We're are we going to go!?" Harry demanded.

"There's a back door over here! It's clear!" Cho Chang called out from the back corner of the class.

The others stopped barricading the door for a moment, looking at Harry.

"Alright, add those last couple shelves to the barricade, then lets get the fuck out!" He ordered.

Within thirty seconds they had cleared out the room, rushing down a narrow corridor.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The group of survivors rushed through the empty halls of the school for a good ten minutes, only stopping after going through several classrooms and making sure they were nowhere near the Gryffindor tower.

"Oh man... there's been way too much running tonight, damn" Ron said, hunched over once again trying to catch his breathe, "I am... not in shape."

"How can you joke at a time like this?!" Ginny demanded.

"Woah Sis, easy... just trying to lighten... the mood... oh god, ... talking hurts" He continued to breathe heavily, "Maybe... maybe you guys should leave me, I'll hold... hold them off" Ron said with a smile on his face.

"Ron!" said Hermione and Ginny at the same time angrily.

"Woah! It was a joke! Just... let me catch my breathe..."

The others weren't much better. Dean and Seamus were bent over with their hands on their knees, trying to catch their breath. Lavender was sitting against the wall, red in the face, while Neville had stopped ten feet away from the group to lie down and catch his breathe, (" I'll keep watch for followers" was his excuse.) The only one of their group who still had some endurance was Cho Chang. She was avoiding eye contact with Harry.

"So , like... what's our next plan? We can't just sit here, in the open" Lavender asked.

"Yeah man, we got to hole up somewhere, maybe barricade a classroom before they reach us" Seamus suggested.

"I think we should try to find proffesor McGonagall, warn her about the common room being overrun. Maybe we could help." said Hermione.

"Do you even know where she is? I doubt she stayed in the Great Hall, and I'm not going back to that hell hole, it's ground zero" Seamus replied.

"Maybe we should check the other common rooms... just because Gryffindor was breached doesn't mean Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw was overwhelmed" said Cho.

"Oh yeah, let's go to Hufflepuff, it's just on the same floor as the fucking disaster zone!" mocked Seamus. Dean and Ron chuckled. Neville gave a half hearted laugh from the staircase.

"Well it's better than just sitting here" Cho spat back.

They started to argue again before Harry cut in, "Wait, guy's where are we right now?"

They looked around, "Random empty corridor?" Ron asked.

"No, we're near the room of requirements! We can hide out there!" Harry explained.

"Holy shit! Didn't even think of that! We could use that as a hideout, I don't even think any of those zombie dead guys could get in there!" Ron said in agreement.

"It would be a good place to regroup and think... I don't think anyone else would head there, outside of anyone in DA" said Hermione. She looked at Seamus, who nodded. He looked at Cho expectantly.

"Well, it would be nice to gather our bearings. We could figure out a next step from there..." She began.

"Fuck that, let's just live there" Ron suggested.

"We'll need to get food eventually, Ron" Ginny countered, "It's not like any of us got dinner." Harry's stomach groaned.

"Look, the room of requirements is our best bet, so let's head there now, we can figure out food from then on."

The room of requirements uncovered a hidden determination and strength inside the group, and they set off with a goal in mind.

With the sun completed set, the only light came off the torches along the walls, casting eerie shadows through out the stone corridors.

"I've never noticed how creepy this place could be at night" said Lavender.

They wandered down the dimly lit hallways, Harry keeping an eye out for the room of requirements.

_I know it's here somewhere. I have to find it! Maybe Cho will lighten up once we get there. And Ginny will be safer too. Wait what's that?_

Something moved ahead in the darkness, which was quickly revealed to be , the caretakers cat was stalking around one of the torch sconces.

"It's just Filche's old cat, I bet she's too busy looking for troublemakers to actually notice what's going on" Ron smirked.

"Or she's one of them" Seamus joked, and they laughed.

"That's not funny guys, ... wait, what the hell is with her eyes" Lavender asked.

They stopped to examine the cat. She was moving kind of weird, a bit twitchy.

"She doesn't look too good" Lavender noted.

"Whatever, come on guy's ,lets get... holy shit!" Harry was interrupted as made a sudden leap at Dean Thomas and wrapped her claws around his leg.

"OW! FUCK! , GET IT OFF!" He shouted, "She bit me!" He shook his leg but the cat dug it's teeth in deeper, "Get this little fuck off me!"

"Dean! She's infected!" Harry shouted, "Her eyes are glazed over... and... oh shit, there's the bite!"

There was an obvious bite mark on one of her hind legs. Dean continued to try to shake her off his leg, but she wouldn't let go. He began to sweat profusely, before losing his balance and falling over backwards with the grace of a drunk.

They all stared at him while backing away slowly as his body went still. His face quickly lost all color, before violently twitching.

Lavender let out a high pitched scream and sped off down the corridor.

"Lavender! Wait!" Hermione called out.

She ran away hysterically, but was stopped as a claw like hand grabbed her arm from the darkness.

She screamed even louder, "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" As Filch jumped out the darkness. She tried to pull her arm out of his grip but it was too strong. He immediately bit into her neck, tearing an artery and splattering the stone walls with scarlet blood.

Dean's body began to twitch a lot.

"He's getting back up, run!" Harry ordered. The group fled down the hallways aimlessly, until Harry suddenly recognized where they were.

"Shit! Wait, everyone, this is it! The room of requirements!"

"Are you sure?!" Hermione demanded.

"Yes! Alright, walk by it three times, think 'I need somewhere to hide from these undead!' Come on, let's do it!"

They followed his orders, use to accessing the room in times past to not question walking down a hallway three times while the undead were hot on there trail.

By the third time, a doorway appeared in the wall.

"Alright, everyone in!" Harry shouted.

They rushed in the room just as the zombiefied Filch came around the corner.

They slammed the door shut once they were inside. Ron and Seamus immediately pushed a couch in front of the door, not taking any chances.

"Alright... we've made it, we'll be alright" said Harry.

"Harry Potter.. I was wondering when you would arrive" said a dreamy voice.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Luna!" Harry exclaimed, happy to finally see a friendly face, "You're alive! Finally some good news!"

"Well of course, what else would I be? Like the Inferi?" replied Luna Lovegood. She was casually leaning against a pillar, holding onto a halberd in one hand and a drink in the next.

"Infer... what?" Harry asked.

"Inferi. The dead" She replied, "I'm sure you've run into them, they've surely taken over the Ravenclaw tower by now."

"I think I've heard that... I didn't think they were real" Ron muttered.

"Oh course!, But... Inferi can't think... I thought they were brainless" Hermione began, "I've read little snippets about them" she explained, noting the looks on the rest of the groups faces.

"Alright... just what exactly is an inferi?" Harry asked, but Seamus interjected, "I think we should fortify this place first before we start talking again" Neville and Ron nodded in agreement.

"Blimey, are you guys seeing all this?" Ron asked, taking note of the room.

The room of requirements walls were covered in weapon racks. Various medieval and modern day weaponry and tools hung across the walls. Along the back wall were two heavy set reinforced doors.

"What... what did you think for the room to take this form?" Harry asked.

"A safe house. I think the room knows about the Inferi, and has adequately prepared itself. Those two doors along the back are escape routes, but I think they're only one way. I think the one on the left heads towards the Ravenclaw tower, and the one on the right goes down to the ground floor."

"How exactly do you know that?" Ron asked while pulling a fireaxe of the nearest weapon rack.

"I required it" Luna said with a smile.

"This is fucking amazing!" Seamus exclaimed, "Look at this stuff" He held a large crowbar in one hand and a mountain climbers ice pick in the other, as if weighing their effectiveness.

"If only we had some of these back in the common room" said Ginny, grabbing a spear.

"I recommend something with range. The further the Inferi are from you, the better" explained Luna.

"I have to sit down, I need a breather" Cho Chang said quietly, heading towards one of the couches in the corner. Harry watched her lie down on the couch before examining a large sledgehammer.

Hermione appeared beside him, "Look at this, these are muggle tools. I'm surprised the room has these."

"Too bad it didn't create any guns" Harry said, looking around, "Nearly everything here requires getting up close and personal, still is nicer than nothing"

"Or using a candlestick" Hermione said quietly.

Harry gave her a look.

"I think you should go talk to Cho, try to comfort her"

"I guess you're right" Harry replied. He walked away as Neville approached Hermione, "Hey, check out these swords!"

Cho Chang looked up at Harry as he approached. She sat up and motioned him to sit next to her.

"Hey , Cho..." He began, but she interrupted him.

"I'm sorry about how I acted early, I was just... I dunno, I'm sorry I freaked out about Marietta. I wasn't able to think clearly..."

"Cho, I'm sorry about her, I really am. It was hell back there in the common room. No one knew what to do. It keeps replaying in my head, and... well"

"Don't. Don't think about it now. We can deal with it later.. we need to move on" said Cho, "It hurts... but... I don't think that will be the end of it. We need to stay focused..."

"... yeah..." Harry said in agreement. He moved closer to her, leaning in. He took in her smell, her spirit. he moved his hand over her thigh, his other hand on her back.

They were going in for the kiss.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Neville drop one of the swords.

CLANG

"Holy shit Neville! Watch it! You could have taken off my toe!" Ron shouted.

The noise pulled Harry and Cho out of the moment.

"I better... uh... arm myself" Cho got up quickly, slightly embarrassed.

"Wait, Cho!" Harry began, but she quickly kissed him on the cheek and moved on.

_Damn_ it,_ what just happened?_

He looked around and noticed Ginny look away quickly.

"Hey, how does this look?" Cho asked.

He looked at her wielding a machete.

"Damn... looking good" Harry replied, smiling.

"Yeah, that's what I thought... hey, it looks like the others seem to have armed up, maybe we should find out what we're up against" Cho pointed out.

Harry grabbed a spear of the wall and grouped up with the others around Luna.

"Alright, it's time to figure shit out. What are we up against?" Harry asked.

"Inferi. A special kind" Luna began, "Normally, they're just possessed dead bodies, like tools."

"It's a very dark form of magic" Hermione interjected.

"Very illegal and dangerous. But this form is more dangerous, and rarer. These Inferi are caused by a virus that spreads by bite, and it gets worse with each generation. I think the first to get infected were the house elves, so they probably had the weakest bite. For all we know, someone bit in the initial attack could still be alive right now, if they had the proper aid"

Harry briefly remembered Umbridge being bit on the hand at dinner. Hopefully she had died.

"But without proper aid, the bitten would quickly change. Skin discoloration, loss of sanity, anger. They exist to spread the virus, and it takes control faster the further its been transferred from the original host."

"So can they be saved?" Ron asked.

Luna shook her head, "No. It's a very powerful cursed disease. No ones really sure where it came from, or even if it existed before now. I don't really fully understand it myself, but I know once you're bit, it's over pretty fast. And I don't know if I would want to see what's left of someone even if they were cured."

"You make it sound hopeless" said Neville, "All our friends, everyone in the common room... oh God, they've all been turned into those things."

"It's not all hopeless!" Luna exclaimed, "You can fight against them. I think Dismemberment works best, makes it so they can't move."

"How do you know all this?" asked Cho Chang.

"You can learn a lot if you don't let the ministry of magic and Daily Prophet tell you what to read" Luna answered matter of factly.

"Alright, we know the enemy, we have a safe room, but we still need food. What's our next step?" Harry asked.

The others did not look happy about leaving the safe room.

Cho Chang spoke up first, "You mentioned the Ravenclaw tower being overrun? Do you know for sure?" She asked Luna.

Luna shook her head, "I feared that someone bitten would have gotten inside. I don't know for sure though"

"So there could still be people alive inside! If we reached them, we could get their help. Ravenclaws are smart, and we have a room full of weaponry to suit a small army. We should try to help them!" Cho asked.

"Just wait a minute, this could be walking directly into a trap. What if they did have someone bitten inside? Anyone who made it out would have gotten the hell out of that part of the school" Ginny Weasley interjected, "The door on the right heads to the ground floor, right? Hufflepuff's common room is down there, and they're a hardy bunch. We need strength and numbers!"

"Not worried about your boyfriend in Ravenclaw?" Ron asked with a weird sneer, "Micheal corner or corridor or what ever the fuck his name is?"

"Fuck off, Ron, this is about survival" Ginny retorted.

Harry felt a twist in his stomach. Ginny was right about the Hufflepuff's. They were definitly physically stronger, but there was no way to know if they had also met the same fast as the Gryffindors, but he had already abandoned one of Cho Chang's friends.

"Harry, you'll have to pick one, it's not safe to split the group up" said Neville.

Harry thought about it for a moment.

_The Ravenclaws are smart. We could use their help, and it is Cho Chang's house. But the HufflePuff's have the brawn, and they're might be a lot of fights up ahead. And Ginny thinks it's a good idea... fuck... there isn't time to split up the group..._

"What the hell is that?" Neville asked, pointing at the wall.

They all turned and looked. Wooden bars had formed along the wall around the entry door, pushing the weapon racks out the way. They turned into wooden squares, six in total along the wall, getting bigger and bigger until suddenly the inside was filled with glass.

"It's forming windows!" Ginny shouted.

SMASH!

Inferi arms broke through the windows, dozens of them trying to break through.

"How did they get in?!" Harry demanded.

"They probably _required _it!" Ron shouted.

"Not the time for jokes!" Hermione spat back, "What do we do?!"

"Fight back!" Seamus charged forward with a crowbar in his hand. He swung it the nearest window, breaking Inferi bones with each swing.

"Let's get them!" Neville ran to the next window with a sword in hand, slicing off their reaching hands. Blood splattered against his face as he cleaved through them.

The rest followed suite, each taking a window. Harry stabbed with the spear. He noticed Parvati Patil among the Inferi trying to climb through the window, as the end of his spear stabbed through her face. He yanked the spear out and stabbed the next Inferi beside her. The spear point jammed straight through Dean Thomas's eye socket. He twisted the shaft and yanked it out.

"You were right about the range, Luna!" Harry shouted as he stabbed through the window again.

"Oh shit, they're breaking through!" Hermione screamed from the far side. She swung the sledgehammer inefficiently against the Inferi, but it merely knocked her off balance, accidentally causing her to topple to the floor. The Inferi Filch pushed aside the others and climbed right through the window, falling to the floor and crawling towards her.

"Help!" She screamed as he grabbed her foot and pull her close.

"I got you!" Ron shouted, swinging the fire axe down on Filch's head.

"Push them back!" Seamus jumped in. He brought his hachet down on another Inferi crawling through the window, but it sank too deep into the skull.

"I can't pull it out!" He shouted.

"Grab something else!" Harry ordered.

They backed away from the window quickly as Inferi started pouring in. Harry started towards them but Cho Chang distracted him with a scream, "They got me!" Inferi arms were dragging her dangerously close to the window, and her machete could only delay the inevitable.

"CHO!" Harry stabbed through the window with the spear with enough force to push back one of the Inferi. He released the spear and pulled her out of their grasp.

"We're being overrun!" Ginny shouted. Inferi were pouring in through two of the windows. An Inferi Lee Jordan pushed himself through the window, got to his feet, and charged towards the group as they backed away.

Luna jumped in front and sliced him clean in half.

"Range is great" Luna Lovegood said again, before cleaving the bloody halberd down on Lee Jordan's head.

"Harry, catch!" Ron tossed Harry the fire axe and then grabbed a spiked aluminum baseball bat off the wall. The Inferi poured through the windows. The only advantage to this was the time it took for them to get to their feet, but they had completely outnumbered the group 2 to 1.

"We have to get out of here, which way are we going?!" Ron demanded, prepping himself.

Harry looked at the two escape doors. It was time to go.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Door on the right!" Harry ordered, swinging open the emergency escape door. The eight of them rushed through, Neville slamming it shut behind them as the Inferi clawed against it on the other side.

"Holy shit! Too close" said Ron.

"Let's get moving, we're not out of this yet!" said Harry.

The others nodded. They were at the end of a narrow windowless corridor leading to a spiral staircase, lit with one torch.

"This must be some kind of secret tower or something" said Seamus, grabbing the torch off the wall.

"Let's get moving" suggested Harry, and the group headed off down the spiral staircase. It went straight down without stopping on any floors. Soon the Inferi scratching on the door became a distant echo through out the stone tower.

"Do you think that door will hold?" Ron asked after a couple minutes.

"It looked pretty reinforced, but I don't want to be in here if when they get through" Harry replied.

"How did they get in?" ask Ginny, "The windows just seemed to form suddenly"

"Ron said it" Luna replied, "They required it. They crowded outside the room all thinking of a way to get to us, and the room gave them a way in"

Hermione shook her head, "No way. That's way too complicated for those... things. There's no way they can think like that"

"You would be surprised" Luna replied, "This kind of Inferi, they're smart. They're predators, existing to hunt and infect. In hindsight, I really wish we had put more time into fortifying that room"

"Hindsights twenty-twenty" Ron sighed.

They reached the bottom of the tower. There was a single door before them.

"What floor do you think we're on?" Cho asked.

"I think we're on the ground floor, maybe lower" said Harry. He looked at Luna, "You said this door led to the hufflepuff common room? Do you know how to reach it? We might as well check it out"

Before Luna could answer, Ginny piped in, "I can get there. I know the way"

They opened the door, finding themselves at the back of a broom closet.

They braced themselves, and opened up the closet, which lead into a corridor.

"This way" said Ginny, leading them door the corridor. They walked for about fifteen minutes, keeping quiet and checking around every corner for Inferi, but found none. The way was clear.

"How do you know where this place is?" asked Ron in a hushed whisper.

Ginny blushed, but no one could see it in the limited light, "I have a friend in Hufflepuff"

"What kind of friend?" Ron attempted to ask slyly, but came off as demanding.

"A none of your business friend" Ginny retorted.

"What happened to Micheal Corner? Dating out of house not working for you anymore?" Ron demanded in a mocking tone.

"Shhh!" Ginny hissed, "It's none of your business, but I dumped Micheal weeks ago."

_Ginny's single?! Holy shit!_ Harry thought to himself.

"Oh,... well good... wait, then whose the guy in Hufflepuff!?" Ron demanded again.

"Will you lower your voice?!" Ginny hissed back, "We are literally around the corner from the kitchen where this shitstorm started, there could be inferi elves or God knows what else in there. Why don't you just be happy someone knows where the Hufflepuff common room is, and get the fuck over it?" She growled.

There was an awkward silence.

"You guy's fight a lot" Seamus said in a flat tone.

Ginny sighed and walked into the next room. She let out a gasp.

Harry and the others followed her and saw why.

The room, which looked like it had once been a storage room full of barrels, was covered in blood stains. On the far wall was a large wine barrel smashed open, revealing a secret tunnel.

"What happened here?" Harry asked.

"Oh God... that's the entrance to the common room..." Ginny's face was pale.

"Alright, we go in slowly in formation... Luna, me and Ron will take the front" Harry ordered, raising the fire axe. Luna and Ron nodded at him, taking his sides.

"Cho, Neville, Ginny, Hermione, you come next, and Seamus take the rear, cover our exit"

They crept through the tunnel slowly, into the common room. A few torches were lit in the once comfortable common room, but for now it was a complete mess. Flipped over tables and chairs were scattered through out the room. Vegetation that once hung in hanging baskets and gardens from the ceiling were spilt out on the floor. Blood stains and signs of a struggle were everywhere.

"Oh God... this can't be for real..." Ginny said with a moan, "It's just like the Gryffindor room..."

"Shh" Luna interrupted with a harsh gesture, "There's one" she motioned with the Halberd towards a girl slumped against the wall.

Harry looked at Luna puzzled as she slowly approached the girl, Halberd at the ready.

Within five feet, the girl looked up.

Harry immediately recognized her as Susan Bones. But she was not the same. Her skin was discolored and her eyes were glazed over. A thin trickle of blood ran down her chin. She let out a low gurgle upon seeing them.

Luna impaled her with the front of the pike with one swift motion through the eye socket, and Susan Bone's slumped over dead.

"Holy- Woah!" A second inferi jumped out from behind a barrel at Ron. He swung the baseball bat and knocked the Inferi to the ground.

"That's Hannah Abbot!" Hermione squealed.

"Finish her!" Luna growled, pushing Harry out the way. The Inferi Hannah Abbot was just getting to her feet as the pike end of the Halberd stabbed through her skull.

"You have to act fast!" Luna growled to Ron, pulling out the Halberd, "If you're not fast, you're dead!"

"What the hell's going on here?!" Seamus rushed through the tunnel into the common room. He stopped at the entrance, "Holy cow, I thought there was a swarm in here. You guy's alright?" He asked.

"Yeah... we're fine" Ron replied, "Oh shit, look out!" Ron pointed at Seamus as an Inferi Ernest Macmillan grabbed him from inside the tunnel and sank it's teeth into his shoulder.

"OH FUCK! NO!" Seamus screamed. Ron rushed over, hitting the Inferi in the head with his baseball bat. It released Seamus and Ron hit it again, knocking it to the floor. Neville came from the other side and began stabbing it with his sword as Ron beat it's face in with the baseball bat.

Seamus had completely lost his composition and turned to full out panic.

"OhGodnotlikethispleasedon'tletmeOhGoditbitmesomeonefuckinghelpohshitohshitohshit!"

He gave a pleading look at Harry, who was backing away with the others.

He reached out to them, "Please..." a couple tears going down his face.

Luna took a deep breathe, and decapitated him in one swift motion.

Hermione and Cho Chang screamed.

"Holy shit!" Harry shouted.

Ron looked up, " JESUS CHRIST LUNA!" He turned away just as Neville looked up, watched Seamus's head hit the ground, followed by his bodies unmajestic tumble, and then threw up on the Inferi Ernect Macmillan.

"Luna what the fuck?!" Harry demanded, raising the fire axe.

She glared at him, "He was done for and a threat. It had to be done"

"You fucking cut his head off!" Ron shouted.

"It had to be done! He was going to turn!" Luna spat back.

"She's right" Ginny replied quietly.

Harry opened his mouth to answer, but he knew Luna was right.

"Let's get out of here... there's nothing left"

On the way out, Luna grabbed Seamus's crowbar and handed it to Hermione, "You'll need it." She took it without protest.

They walked through the corridor without saying a word, a little in shock. Harry found himself surprised this shocked him. It made sense, but it still seemed to brutal to kill someone before they turned.

They were nearly out of the basement when they heard a man's cry for help up ahead.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Harry and Ron looked at each other.

The man cried out again, "Help me! Someone?! Anyone!? Professor?!"

They ran around the corner to see a young man backed against the wall, desperately trying to bar an Inferi off with a wooden table leg.

"Help me!" He shouted.

"It's Justin!" Hermione cried out.

Ron and Neville rushed forward and grabbed the Inferi from behind and threw it to the ground. It growled and spat, trying to get to it's feet, but went still as Harry sunk the fire axe blade through its face.

Justin Finch-Fletchley had a look of shock on his face, "Thank you so much! That ... senior just attacked us..." He motioned at the axed Hufflepuff Inferi, "He's just like the others! He bit professor..." His voice trailed off as a look of terror covered his face.

Harry turned around to see an Inferi professor Sprout charging towards them, her face snarled up and drooling, hands outreached for the kill.

She reached for Neville, but he sidestepped and slashed his sword through her leg, slicing it clean off at the knee. She hit the floor by Justin and grabbed his ankle

"Get her off!" He screamed. Hermione tossed him the crowbar. He caught it and began smashing Professor Sprouts head in with it. Ron joined in with the baseball bat, beating her head to a mashed up pulp.

"Holy shit... didn't expect to see a teacher bit..." said Ron in amazement.

"You guys did good there" piped in Luna.

Harry looked at the corpse, then back to Justin, "Are you bit?" He demanded, lifting the axe.

"What? No!" Justin backed up against the wall, hands in the air.

Harry looked him in the eye.

"He would've turned by now" said Luna.

Harry nodded. He looked away and was surprised to see Ginny investigating the dead sixth year.

"You... you knew him, didn't you?" Justin asked her.

She nodded.

Ron looked at Ginny, to the corpse, to Justin and then back to Ginny.

"Him!?" He said, "He was the new one?!" Ron demanded.

"Lay off her , Ron!" Hermione shouted.

"Wowee" Ron said, "Unbelievable"

"Fuck off Ron" Ginny growled.

"Hey, I'm just trying to look out for you!" He retorted.

"Incoming!" Neville pointed down the hall at a charging Inferi.

"Don't just ignore me! I'm your brother!" Ron shouted as Ginny stormed passed him to the charging Inferi, spear at the ready.

"What are you doing?!" Ron demanded.

The Inferi was within ten feet. She stared it in the eye, and with one swift clean movement, impaled it with the spear. It growled and hissed at her, and she pulled out the spear and stabbed it again through the head. It fell to the floor, but she continued to impale it.

"Ginny!" Ron growled. She ignored him.

"GINNY!" Ron shouted, but she continued to stab the corpse.

"Ginny!" Harry called out. She stopped and looked Ron straight in the eye, "Just fuck off, alright?! Let's just... go somewhere else. Fuck this place"

There was a brief silence.

* * *

"So like, what's the plan?" Cho asked Harry a few minutes later.

They had aimlessly wandered through the empty halls, checking each room for packs of Inferi, and cutting down any stragglers.

"I don't know... I just don't know" Harry muttered back. He looked at the others. They were all tired out and at their wits end. They needed a break, and a safe place. He looked at Justin.

"What happened to the Hufflepuff common room? What were you doing with Professor Sprout?" He asked.

"What do you mean what happened? I never went there, I stayed with a group, there's a stronghold in the hospital wing, I thought we were going there" Justin replied.

"What?! What do you mean, a stronghold?!" Harry asked incredulously.

"Set up by Professor McGonagall and a few of the other teachers. I thought you knew... " Justin began, "What happened to my common room? Have you seen my friends? That's why I was with Professor Sprout, we were going to make sure the common room was secure."

Harry looked away uncomfortably.

Ron broke the news, "Your common room is destroyed. An Inferi Ernest Mcmillan killed Seamus. The only two left was Hannah and Susan... they were both like those monsters..."

Justin broke down, "Oh God... Ernie... Susan... Hannah... No!" He looked at all of them for a contradictory opinion, but they all avoided his gaze, "That can't be true... no... Oh God, all my friends?! They're fucking dead?!" Some tears went down his cheek as he struggled to comprehend.

"Look, Justin, I know it's hard" Harry began, but Justin quickly interrupted him, "hard?! HARD?! You got all your mates right here! MY FRIENDS ARE FUCKING DEAD!"

"Justin please!" Cho began.

"God damn it! What the hell is going on?!" He shouted.

"That's what we've been trying to figure out!" Neville shouted back.

"Those things slaughtered the Gryffindor common room! We might be all that's left of Gryffindor!" said Ron.

Justin opened his mouth to argue, but Hermione interjected, "We're too exposed right here for this. You say the hospital wing is fortified? It's not even a ten minute walk from here. We can gather our bearings there, figure out the next step."

"That's what we thought about the common room, and the room of requirements!" Ron spat back.

"But this time the Professors will be there! They'll have a real plan!" Hermione argued back.

"It's probably a death trap!" argued Ron.

"Will you all just shut the fuck up!?" Demanded Ginny, "Look, we're all fucking stressed out, we've seen a lot of shit, but the hospital wing is better than nothing. I say we head there, and I'm going even if you're not. I don't care." And with that, she stormed off.

Ron and Hermione looked at Harry.

"Anythings better than this, I'm following her" He replied.

They nodded, and the group set off for the hospital wing.

* * *

The eight survivors stood in front of the door to the hospital wing.

"Do we knock?" Cho asked.

Harry shrugged and raised his knuckle. He knocked the door three times, "Ready yourselves, in case Inferi pour out."

Luna, Ron and Neville nodded, raising their weapons. The rest took a step back to cover the rear.

They heard a great deal of shuffling inside, and human voices. Moments later, the door creaked open.

"Arry! You're alive! Get in here!" Hagrid's booming voice called out.

"Hagrid!" Harry, Ron and Hermione shouted in unison.

"Yeah! Get the ruddy hell in here!"

They poured into the hospital wing, into temporary safety.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Once inside, Harry noted the heavily barricaded doors. The survivors had pushed several desks against the double door entrance. Only someone as strong as Hagrid would be able to pull the door open on his own.

"I can't believe it! Well, I mean, Harry! Hermione! Ron, everyone!" Hagrid's face beamed with joyful surprise at their safety.

"Potter!" Professor McGonagall rushed over to them, "Are you bit? Are any of you infected?" She demanded sternly.

"No, none of us" Harry replied quickly.

She turned to Hagrid, "We can't be sure, Hagrid, you have to find out first before allowing them entrance!"

"Sorry, Professor, but we can't leave them out there!" He replied.

"If we were bit we would have already turned" Luna interjected.

Professor Mcgonagall looked at her sternly.

"It's true, Professor Sprout turned rabid almost instantly!" Justin added.

She looked at him with shock, "Professor Sprout?... turned? She was a teacher! She wouldn't have fallen so easy!"

"It's true Professor" Said Harry.

"And the common room? Did you make it to the common room?" She asked with concern.

Justin shook his head.

"We reached it. There's nothing left except a couple Inferi, it was completely overrun."

"No..." Professor Mcgonagall whispered. She looked shaken for a moment, then pulled herself together, "alright. Well we are safe in here. I don't think we can send anyone else out. I thought if we could reach the Hufflepuff common room, we could organize... something."

"Gryffindors been hit too" Ron added.

Professor McGonagall nodded, "I know." She looked saddened to admit it.

Harry was about to ask, but was interrupted "Ron! Ginny! No way! You made it!" Fred Weasley rushed out from the back office of the Hospital wing, flanked by Cormac Mclaggan.

"I didn't think anyone else got out! This is amazing!" He ran up and embraced them both, "Holy shit, thing's have gone bad man. Those freaks are on every floor!"

"We know" said Harry.

"So what's the plan?" asked Cormac coolly, walking over.

"I don't know, we need a break" said Harry, "Time to think."

"That's a good idea, for once. You can grab a bed if you want, there might be more beds than students at this rate" Professor Mcganagall offered, "Oh... and stay away from the far bed... "

They looked over at the far end of the Hospital wing, where one of the beds was covered behind a curtain. Two shadows were visible hunched over the bed.

"I should go help... see things through, Hagrid, stay on watch" She ordered, walking away to the far bed. Hagrid nodded, and waved Harry and the others off towards some of the beds.

They crowded together by one of the beds near the door, where a single candle on a bedside desk illuminated the group.

The clock above the door's finger pointed to midnight.

"So... Whose the in the mystery bed?" Ron asked.

"Umbridge" Fred said flatly.

"What?!" They all exclaimed in surprise.

"I saw her get bit!" said Harry.

"She was the first to go!" Spat Ron.

"How can she be alive?" Hermione demanded.

"I was hoping that cunt was dead" Ginny snarled.

Fred shook his head, "Nope, she got medical attention immediately. She's not very lucid right now, pretty sure she's on the brink"

"It is possible for an early bite victim to survive with immediate medical attention" Luna explained, "It's rare though"

"We should put an axe to her neck, play it safe" Ron suggested.

"We can't just murder someone!" Hermione retorted.

"Wait, how could she have gotten medical attention immediately? She was in the great hall when shit went down!" asked Harry.

"Pretty obvious, isn't it?" said Cormac, "She ran here immediately. Abandoned everyone. I think you know what its like" He looked Harry in the eyes, "Leaving that girl back at the common room..."

"Fuck off, asshole" Ginny Weasley spat at him, defending Harry could reply, "Shit was hitting the fan"

"Wasn't she your best friend?" He looked at Cho.

Before Cho could reply, but Fred and Ron got up and shoved him away from the group ("Get the fuck out of here!")

"Please tell me there's someone else here that isn't an asshole" Harry asked.

Fred shook his head, "This is it. Me, Cormac, Hagrid, Mcgonagall, Madame Pomfrey, and Snape over there too, behind the curtain" He motioned back at the curtain.

"What's Snape doing here?" Harry asked.

"Probably trying to keep Umbridge alive. He knows his potions better than Madame Pomfrey" explained Fred.

"Alright, that dick's gone, what's the plan?" Ron asked, looking at Harry.

Just as he was thinking of something to say, Cho stood up, "I need some alone time" and walked away without a word.

Harry thought of going after her, but the others were too focused on him. He could deal with it later.

"Well... let's see. They outnumber us immensely. I don't think we could kill them off one by one, there's just too many. We need a way to take out all of them. there has to be some kind of weakness to them. Maybe a potion or fire or some shit. But we have no way of knowing"

"I think I know how we could find that out" said Hermione, "I know there's a few books in the library that have gone over Inferi. I've never read them closely before, but I think that would be our best bet."

"Sounds good to me" said Ron.

"It's not that simple though. The books are in the restricted section of the Library, we would need the key to get in. Madame Pince would have the key, but she might have evacuated the library"

"Or got bit" added Luna.

"Yes... or bit. Getting to the Library might be tough too, You would have to take the grand staircase to the third floor, and who knows how many Inferi are in there."

"We can handle Inferi. And the staircases will make natural choke holds." said Harry.

"Also... getting out of here might be tough" Hermione lowered her voice to a whisper, "I doubt Hagrid will let us out" she noted Hagrid standing by the barricaded doors, looking slightly troubled.

"Leave that too me. I can distract him" offered Fred.

"Alright, you distract him, we'll hit up the library, find the book, and find a way to wipe out the Inferi, nice and easy" said Harry.

"Not to put a hole in your plan, but I don't think I can go back out there. I'll help open the door... but... fuck man, I can't go out there again" said Justin awkwardly.

Harry nodded, "It's alright. We're more used to fighting these things."

"I don't think I can come." said Ginny, "I don't trust Umbridge over there. I don't think anyone here will be able to put her down fast enough"

"It's alright sis" said Ron, "Stay safe"

She glared at him for a second.

"I'm with you Harry." said Neville.

"What about Cho? Personally, I don't think she's quite set for this kind of shit" said Ron. Cho was sitting across the room on the hospital bed, hunched over on the bed.

"Your right. Alright, so it's me, Ron, Hermione, Luna and Neville?"

They all nodded.

"Alright, Fred, set the distraction"

Fred smiled, nodded, and rushed over to Cormac.

"Hey, You're a big fucking dumbass idiot shit for brains! I have no idea how you made it this far!" He shouted at Cormac.

"Hey, go fuck yourself Weasley! You wanna fucking die?!" Cormac spat back, jumping to his feet.

"I'll fuck you up, mate!" They immediately started fighting, drawing Hagrid's attention.

"Oi! Break it up you two!" The half giant ordered, rushing over to them.

"Now!" Harry hissed, and they rushed to the door.

Hagrid immediately grabbed them both by the collar's of their shirts and pulled them apart, lifting them in the air like lightweights.

"Stop this crap you two! We need to keep it together!"

"Hagrid! The door!" Professor Mcgonagall screamed, "Potter! Get back in here!"

Hagrid turned to see the door slightly ajar, just in time to see Luna slip through.

"Damn it, Ruddy hell, Harry!" He ran over and yanked the door open, looking down the halls, but Harry was long gone.

"Close the door, you fool! They're not worth it!" Professor Snape demanded.

Hagrid gave Snape a dirty look and closed the door.

"How could you two let them leave!" Professor Mcgonagall demanded of Ginny and Dean. They gave her a coy look. Cho Chang looked at the barriacaded door with sadness.

"Oh... Harry... what have you done?" She whispered.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville and Luna rushed through several corridors before stopping to make sure Hagrid wouldn't follow. They found an open classroom and headed inside to catch their breath.

"That was a close one" said Ron.

"Do you think he'll follow us?" Asked Hermione with concern.

"Doubtful, I could hear McGonagall calling him back... I hope he doesn't follow us" said Harry. The thought of Hagrid becoming one of the Inferi was frightening in way too many ways. He closed the door and pushed a desk in front of it.

"Holy shit, guys, look, food!" Ron exclaimed, pointing at a small pile of fruit and pastries piled lazily on a desk.

"that seems a little suspicious..." Hermione began, but they had already started eating.

"Come on Hermione, you know you're hungry!" said Ron, tossing her an apple. She grabbed it but did not bite into it, instead inspecting the classroom. Some of the desks had been knocked over, and some bloodstains were visible.

"It looks like there was a struggle in here" she said.

Harry set down his fire axe to eat an apple while surveying the mess.

"Maybe a couple people came in here to hide and eat, but got bit" He theorized.

"Makes sense, they probably should have thought to barricade the door though" said Luna.

"It kind of makes me feel bad to eat this..." said Neville quietly.

"No use to whoever had it now" said Ron as he double fisted a cupcake and a pear, "This shit's tasty."

Harry looked around the room as Hermione examined the signs of the struggle. The classroom was dark and still, except for the sounds of some creaking somewhere in the castle... "LOOK OUT!"

A house elf burst out of a cupboard and charged towards Hermione.

"Shit!" She screamed, turning to run, but she slipped immediately on the bloodstain, hitting the floor on all fours.

Harry grabbed his axe as several more house elves jumped out of the cupboards.

Hermione kicked the elf away, knocking it on it's back, but it quickly climbed up and reached for her feet. It clamped it's jaw around her shoe and bit in it's little jagged teeth as Harry swung his axe, cleaving off it's head a second later.

"On your left!" Ron shouted while smashing in a house elf's skull with his baseball bat.

Harry spun around and kicked the elf in the face, sending it flying across the room. A third elf charged him and met the front of his axe. The kicked house elf got to it's feet quickly and charged towards Neville straight into the arc of his sword, killing it.

Ron smashed in another house elves skull, but the nail in his baseball bat became caught in it's skull. Two elves rushed towards him, drool spilling out from their jaws. Panicked, Ron stuck his foot on the dead elve's skull and yanked out the baseball bat. He turned to smash in the attackers, but Luna had already put them down.

"Is that all of them?!" He asked.

Luna looked around and nodded.

"Everyone alright? Hermione?... Hermione... oh shit" Ron's expression turned to horror as he saw Hermione beginning to cry.

"Oh god.. Hermione..." whispered Harry.

Luna pushed past Ron with an emotionless expression, halberd raised for the kill.

"Wait! NO!" Hermione screamed, "It didn't get through the shoe! LOOK!" She pulled her shoe off, revealing her foot unpunctured by the bite.

Luna stopped a second before swinging her halberd, a look of relief on her face.

"Holy shit... too close" said Harry.

* * *

The group left the classroom and silently and headed towards the entrance to the grand staircase. They reached the last corner, and Neville looked around. His expression was not good.

"I think I found where all the hufflepuffs went..."

Harry looked around the corner. In front of the grand staircase entrance was at least two dozen Inferi, all of them between the ages of eleven and seventeen, all wearing Hufflepuff badges, discolored, and splattered with blood.

"Holy shit... there's no way we can fight past that" he whispered.

"Detour?" asked Ron.

"No, I'll distract them." said Luna.

"What? No, you're crazy. You can't hope to fight them off" said Neville.

"I'm fast. And it won't matter if we pass them now, they might head towards the hospital wing. I can lead them to another staircase, lose them on the second floor away from here. I'm fast." Luna explained.

"You're nuts, they'll catch you" Neville protested.

"No, they'll catch me if I have to look out for someone. I'm very fast on my feet." Luna countered.

"That Halberd will slow you down" Hermione pointed out.

"Right. Here, you need a weapon" She handed the Halberd to Hermione and pulled out a dagger, "Did I mention my Dad was really into self defense?"

"You mentioned he's a bit of a nut, I guess that would make sense" said Ron.

She smiled at him, "Look, we don't have time for this, I'm making a run that way, once the mob goes by, head for the library and clear up whatever stays behind. Trust me, I can handle myself. And I'll want that Halberd back when we meet again."

She looked at Harry.

"She makes a good point. Good luck" He said.

She smiled, gave them all a wink, then headed out.

"HEY FUCKFACES! COME GET ME!" She screamed, then sprinted the other way. The Inferi howled.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville hid around the corner as at least a couple dozen Inferi sprinted by after Luna.

"Coast is clear" said Harry.

"She's fucking nuts" said Ron.

* * *

The Hogwarts grand staircase was a large tower full of moving staircases that led to every floor, including the Headmasters tower at the top. What concerned Harry and his friends was on the third floor. The coast seemed clear, except for one staircase which had stopped in midair, starting at the first floor across the tower but ending in mid air. They looked down at it as they climbed the steps to the library. Three Inferi seemed stuck and confused halfway up the steps, unsure of where to go.

"They looked kind of retarded" whispered Ron under his breathe as they looked down at the Inferi.

"Shh, I don't want them to notice us" Harry whispered back.

They reached the landing for the third floor and headed off down the corridor, towards the Library.

"So, say we get there and Madame Pince isn't there, what's the next step of plans?" Asked Neville.

"We'll force our way into the restricted section" Harry replied.

"And if the book not there?" He asked.

"We'll slaughter every Inferi one by one" joked Ron.

"We'll think of something" Harry replied.

They reached the library. It was nearly pitch black inside, except for some knocked over lanterns. While normally searching for a book in the labyrinthine like library was difficult and tedious, searching in the dark with the chance of an Inferi in the next aisle was downright terrifying.

"Alright, let's see if she's at the reception..." Hermione whispered, as they headed towards the center of the library.

Madame Pince was not at the reception desk, and neither were the keys to the restricted section.

"Shit" Hermione hissed.

"Wait... do you hear that?" Asked Harry.

They listened intently. A low breathing sound was audible deeper in the library.

"It's coming from the study area..." They snuck over to the study room.

Aside from a bunch of books being thrown on the floor and a table knocked slightly askew, everything seemed normal.

"I think we could say Madame Pince was bit, she would never let the library get this disorganized" smirked Ron.

"What's that...?" whispered Neville, pointing at what looked like a leg sticking out from behind the askew table.

They crept over until it came clearly into view. A student lay dead on the floor with a pool of blood around the head. Upon closer inspection, they could see it's teeth slowly chewing.

"It's... alive?" asked Hermione with shock.

Harry knelt close to it. He made eyes with the student, who let out a low growl, but did not otherwise move.

"I think he hit his head on the table... maybe broke his spine somehow... fucking unlucky. I wonder what pushed him...?" He was interrupted as an Inferi charged out from one of the aisles towards them.

"Look out!" He hissed. Hermione quickly spun around, unintentionally decapitating the librarian with the halberd.

"Fuck!" She hissed, in shock of her unmeaning decapitation.

"Holy shit... you got her!" said Neville.

"Nice one!" said Ron, patting her on the back. He then smashed the head in of the paralyzed Inferi, "Just putting the fucker out of it's misery..."

"Does she have the key?" Harry asked. Hermione did not respond. He held her arm and shook her a little, bringing her out of shock, "Does she have the key?"

"What... oh, yeah... let me check... got it!" She pulled the key ring off the decapitated librarians corpse.

They quickly found the restricted section of the library a minute later, and soon it was unlocked and they were scanning the shelves.

"Do you know what book to look for?" Harry asked.

"Try anything to do with dark curses... the undead... monsters" Hermione replied, scanning the rows of books.

"That's like every book here" Ron replied sarcastically.

"Don't be a dick" Hermione snapped back.

"Fuck, you're better at this then me, I'm going to keep watch" said Ron, giving up on the book hunt.

"Uh... me too" said Neville, "I'm not good at this library junk" he followed Ron away.

Hermione sighed.

"It's probably a good idea to keep a look out" said Harry.

"Yeah, I know. He's just pissy about Ginny seeing guys. He doesn't get it" she said.

"I'm pretty sure he just hates books" replied Harry.

"No... He's mad about Ginny. Probably because he's never getting laid. Look, Harry, I have to talk to you about something. I know you like Ginny."

"Wha...? No... I'm with Cho... I mean... Ginny's cool and stuff..."

"Harry, I know you like her. I've seen the way you look at her. But you're with Cho. And she's catching on to. And I don't think Ginny really likes seeing you with Cho all the time. You're going to have to make a choice, before you do something stupid. Don't give me that look! I know what you're thinking, but you have to trust me on this one" explained Hermione.

"Alright... maybe I do like Ginny a little. But I don't think now is the best time. Can we talk about something else? Let's maybe find this book?" He tried to sidetrack the conversation, but inside he knew she was on to something.

_Fuck, I didn't know I was this transparent. I hope Ron isn't catching on... but what if Ginny is? And Cho? Fuck man, you're with Cho, stop pussy footing around..."_

"You see the book anywhere?" He asked.

Before she could reply, Ron rushed over, "Guy's, we got company coming..."

"Inferi?" Harry asked.

"Worse... Malfoy" growled Ron.

Harry grabbed his fireaxe.

"You go, I'll lock the entrance to this section before the Inferi get in. I can find the book better on my own." said Hermione.

Harry nodded to her and rushed off after Ron.

"And don't forget to think about what I said!" She called out as they rushed to the entrance.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Harry, Ron and Neville stood by the library door, ears pressed against the wood. He could hear footsteps coming closer, and Malfoy's obnoxious voice.

"Did you see that fucker? God damn, they fucking ate him, dumbass second year trying to follow us" said Malfoy.

This was followed by two grunt like snickers. Harry assumed it was Crabbe and Goyle.

"It was too bad he died though, I mean... he was only twelve" said a shrill female voice. Harry assumed it was Pansy Parkinson. The footsteps were getting closer to the library now. Harry lifted the axe and nodded to Neville and Ron, who tightened their stances in preparation.

"It's survival of the fittest now , Pansy, if you're fucked, you're fucked, not everyone's going to make it" replied Malfoy.

"I crushed his skull" grunted Goyle with a chuckle.

They were right outside the library.

Harry tensed up, ready for a fight.

The footsteps stopped. There was silence for a second.

"I'm not going in there, that place is a maze. They'll be zombie freaks all over the place. Let's go find some grub" said Malfoy.

They walked away.

Harry relaxed and let out a sigh of relief. Or disappointment.

"That was a close one" he said. Neville relaxed too, but Ron was still tensed up.

"You okay, Ron?" asked Harry.

Ron shook his head, "No... I'm not," His tone was serious, "Harry, those guys are fucked. This is fucked. They killed a second year. And they're fucking assholes"

"I know, Ron, I know" said Harry.

"And there's no one left. Us and them could literally be the only people alive on this floor. No teachers, no interference."

"You don't mean..." Began Neville, "Fighting them? Like right now? You're joking, right?"

Ron shook his head, "Those guys have been fucking assholes to us since they met us. Five years. And you know they're going to grow up to be scumbags like their Dad's."

"You mean like killing them?" Asked Neville.

"No, we don't have to. But we can push them in the right direction. We're armed. Leave them for the Inferi, no one other than us would have to know." He looked at Harry, "We might never have a chance like this"

Harry pondered it for a moment. He looked at Ron's determined stare to Neville's nervous expression. And he felt his hatred for Malfoy, and for Malfoy's family.

"Let's do it. Neville, tell Hermione we're clearing out some Inferi outside the library. She's locked herself in the restricted sections and has a weapon, so we don't need to worry about her. Let's get them." He said to Ron, who nodded back.

"Wait... no... I can't let you guys do it alone." Said Neville.

Harry and Ron looked at him with surprise.

"I think this is wrong... but they outnumber you. I'm coming with you, I'll tell Hermione and then come right back."

* * *

Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy were at the balcony of the grand staircase, deciding the next path. One staircase led up while another led down.

"Look at those fucks, I think they're lost." Crabbe grunted, pointing at the three Inferi on the frozen staircase.

"I've never seen the steps just freeze mid change like that" said Pansy.

"Probably because they're retarded. Who the fucks thinks moving staircases were a good idea" laughed Malfoy.

The Inferi looked up at them and growled, but remained on the steps.

"I was kind of hoping they would run off the front edge and fall, I guess they're smarter than that" he smirked.

"Hey Fuckface! I fucked your mother and now I'm gonna fuck you!" shouted Ron.

The Slytherins turned to see Harry, Ron and Neville approaching them from the hallway.

"Holy fuck, boys, look, it's Potter and the Gryffinfags! Did you get away from the psychos because they already knew you were fucked in the head? Or did they smell Weasley and just stay clear!" replied Malfoy.

"You're the fucking stinker, you dumbass pale fuck!" shouted Harry.

"Nice one!" whispered Ron.

"Check it out, Malfoy, they're armed" grunted Goyle.

"Well so are we, boys" Malfoy grabbed hold of a pike leaning against the railing. Goyle picked up a bloodied war hammer and Crabbe pulled out two war axes that were slung to his belt. Only now did Harry notice they all wore chain mail gloves. He also noted several gold rings on Malfoy's fingers. And a valuable looking pocket watch on Goyle robe. Pansy Parkinson was sporting a new diamond looking necklace.

"Holy shit they got better gear than us" Whispered Ron.

"What the fuck are we going to do?" hissed Neville.

"Where did you get all that?!" Harry demanded. They stopped fifteen feet away from the Slytherins.

"Maybe we were smart enough to make use of the suits of armor spread out through out the castle. I didn't think you were that stupid, Potter" snarled Malfoy.

Crabbe and Goyle laughed.

"What about that fucking fancy stuff!" demanded Ron.

"Well, Weasley... sometimes people with money can afford nice things. And sometimes people don't need nice things anymore, so they get new owners. I don't think you'll ever be resourceful or smart enough to understand though"

"Grave robbers" growled Neville.

"No shit, sherlock" Replied Malfoy, "Since you fucks wanted to start this, I'll give you the chance to turn around now, find the nearest zombie, and get bit. Save us the effort of breaking your legs." Crabbe cracked his neck at this, giving Neville a hungry sadistic look.

"How about we make this a bit more fair?" proposed Harry.

"Why? How?" Asked Malfoy.

"We're all fucked armed to the teeth here. There's no way all of us will get out of this without being maimed. Make it a fist fight." He said.

Malfoy laughed, "That's a fucking dumb idea, we can just crush you right now!"

"I'll fucking slice off your balls!" spat Neville, brandishing his sword. His face had suddenly turned red.

Malfoy let out a nervous laugh, "Alright... fist fight, gives us the personal pleasure of crushing your skull." He set down the pike and whispered something to Pansy. Crabbe and Goyle followed.

Harry, Ron and Neville put away their weapons.

"Let's bring it on" said Harry.

"Crabbe, kick his ass" Malfoy ordered. Crabbe walked to the center of the hallway, flexing his arms while tossing aside his chain mail gloves.

"I got this" said Ron, stepping forward.

They came within a foot, staring each other in the eye.

It was immediate. Crabbe threw the first punch, his fist colliding with Ron's jaw. Ron fell back, but Crabbe grabbed him by his collar and threw against the wall. He tried to kick Crabbe away, but Crabbe pushed his entire body against Ron into the wall, outweighing him at least twice as much.

"Shit!" Ron managed to squeak out as the breath was knocked out his body. Crabbe stepped back and began punching Ron nonstop with his free hand while pinning him against the wall by his collar.

"This is so fucking easy!" Crabbe laughed.

"Come on Longbottom! Don't be a fucking coward, help out Weasley!" Malfoy shouted, slapping Goyle on the back.

Neville ran behind Crabbe and tried to pull him away from Ron as Goyle head butted him from the side, knocking him to the ground. He tried to get to his feet but Goyle smoked him in the face. This was going bad fast.

Harry stared, dumbstruck as his friends were beating to a pulp in front of him. Crabbe threw Ron to the floor and began kicking him in the ribs as Goyle smashed Neville's face to a pulp. Neville's nose let out a crack as it broke under Goyle's fist, and blood began to pour out everywhere.

Harry ran forward to pull Goyle off Neville, but he Crabbe saw him again and shoved him hard against the wall. He fell to the floor while Crabbe looked over him.

"I'm gonna crush you" He whispered with a deranged smile.

Harry backed away but Crabbe reached forward and grabbed him by the front of his shirt and slammed his body against the wall.

"Get the fuck off me!" Harry shouted, as Crabbe pulled him forward and punched him the face. He put up his arms to cover his face, so Crabbe merely shoved his head into the brick wall.

"I guess this is how it ends, Potter!" Laughed Malfoy. Pansy began shrieking with laughter as Crabbe slammed Harry's head into the brick wall again. He felt tasted blood in his mouth and closed his eyes, feeling woozy. The realization hit how pointless this conflict was. How pointless his death would be. He braced himself for another face plant into the wall, but it never came. Instead , he heard Pansy scream and felt something splatter on his face and body.

He opened his eyes to see Crabbe's vacant expression, and behind him, the fire axe sticking out his head, held by Ron.

His body went limp and fell and Ron yanked the fire axe out the back of his skull, an expression of pure hate on his face.

"Holy shit!" Goyle let go of Neville and backed away as fast as he could, running back to Malfoy, whose confident sneer had been replace by shocked fear.

Goyle grabbed the war hammer from the railing and turned to face Ron, but did not charge, instead looking at something else.

Harry looked at him for a moment, then it dawned on him. He turned around to see about a dozen Inferi charging towards them from the other end of the hallway.

"Shit!" shouted Ron.

"Axe please, help Neville up!" Shouted Harry.

Ron tossed Harry the axe. One Inferi had pulled a significant amount ahead of the group. Harry cleaved through it's head with the axe. He grabbed the baseball bat and tossed it to Ron, who had just helped Neville up.

"My sword!" spluttered out Neville, his face covered in blood. Harry grabbed the sword and threw it to Neville.

"Let's get out of here!" Ron and Neville ran for the staircase. Harry decapitated another quickly approaching Inferi, then turned and sprinted after them. Malfoy and his friends had already fled down the stairs.

Ron and Neville had already started up the stairs as Harry sprinted by Crabbe's corpse. He saw the next events in slow motion, as the bottom of the staircase disconnected from the floor and began to move away to another landing.

"NO!" Harry screamed at the edge. He jumped as far as he could, reaching out for the bottom step. His upper torso hit it, and he immediately began slipping off.

"Harry!" Shouted Ron, turning around to grab his friend.

"Who thought a moving staircase was a good idea!?" Harry screamed as he lost his grip an inch from Ron's hand. He fell, but his fall was nearly instantly broken as he hit the top of the frozen staircase. Behind and above him, Inferi charged off the third floor landing, falling down in a crippling heap to the bottom of the grand staircase.

"Holy shit!" He wheezed.

"Look out!" Ron shouted. Harry looked forward to see the three Inferi on the stairs running up to him. He got to his feet and swung the fire axe, carving through the first one in the side of the skull. He pulled the axe out just as the second Inferi knocked into him. Without thinking, he kicked it over his head and threw it over the top edge of the staircase, sending it flying to the bottom along with his axe. Helplessly, he watched as the third one charged towards his defenseless body, merely seconds away.

"Harry! Catch!" Neville shouted, tossing Harry his sword.

He caught it by the handle just in time to impale the third Inferi through the eye.

"Holy shit! Too close" panted Harry, pushing the dead Inferi away.

"Are you alright?! Can you walk!?" Ron called from a floor and a half up.

Harry climbed to his feet, relieved that nothing had broke in the floor.

"Yeah... I can walk... I think I'm alright" He called back.

"Did you fucking see what just happened?! That was awesome!" Ron shouted.

"I know! That was rad as fuck!" Harry exclaimed.

"What do we do now?" Asked Neville.

Harry looked around. The inferi at the bottom of the grand staircase looked like they had broken most of their legs in the fall. There were no immediate threats.

"Go back to the library. I'll find another way around and meet you there!" He ordered.

"You sure?!" asked Ron.

"I'll be fine! I have to make it back to the library, I gotta get you back this sword!" He shouted to Neville.

"Alright... good luck!" they headed off for the nearest staircase back to the third floor. Harry walked off the frozen steps into the hallway of the second floor.

* * *

He sneaked through the second floor cautiously for a good ten minutes, choosing to avoid the few Inferi that wandered alone on the second floor. There were a lot less on this floor, and almost always on their own. He found a staircase into the third floor, and was about to take it until someone called out.

"Hey! Wait up! Hey... Harry Potter?!" A Ravenclaw student ran out of a broom closet towards him.

"Holy shit! Someone else whose alive! Do you know how fucked this place has become?!" He said.

"Hey... I know you..." Harry began, "Aren't you Micheal Corner?"

"Yeah, it's great to see a friendly face!" said Micheal Corner happily, "I mean, I was hoping to run into Ginny... see if she's alright..."

_So this is Ginny's ex. Didn't really expect him to be alive..._

"So like... is there anyone else alive? Maybe like some teachers or somewhere for people to hole up? I was thinking the room of requirements, you know? It would make a great hiding spot, I just wouldn't want to head there without knowing if it was safe and worth it..."

Harry thought for a moment.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Micheal, listen closely. A whole bunch of us have taken over the room of requirements. The Inferi can't get in, and it's full of weaponry and food" said Harry.

Micheal Corners eyes lit up, "You've got to be shitting me! OF course everyone would head there, where else would you go if you _required_ a safe room!"

"Yeah, man, no problem" said Harry.

"Wait, why aren't you up there?" He asked.

"I'm looking for survivors. There's still people out here. I would help lead you back myself, but I'm on my way to the ... hufflepuff common room. But most of the Gryffindors are up there, my friends, some teachers... Ginny..." Harry smiled.

"Oh God, Ginny's alive?! Holy shit man, this is awesome news! You're a good guy, Harry, fuck, good luck with the hufflepuffs! Stay safe!" Micheal Corner headed off up the stairs with a sudden resolve.

"Yeah... you too..." said Harry.

_Oh God... that seemed to cruel... why did I do that?_ He wondered to himself, _Maybe the Inferi have left the room by now, maybe it's still safe. He's probably safer on his own too._

* * *

He continued through the dark halls of the third floor, ever weary of what ever Inferi could be lurking in the shadows. The only source of light was from the moon shining through the windows. With the coast clear, Harry took a moment to look outside. The grounds to the school looked so peaceful and empty. If Umbridges curfew was still working, then there was probably no Inferi outside. He attempted to push open the window, but found it locked.

"Typical" he sighed. Then he lifted and swung the sword against the glass. It immediately deflected off, and he felt a mild shock go through his arm.

"Jesus!" He involuntarily swore, dropping the sword.

"Do you have any idea how loud you are?" said a sing song voice from behind him.

"Holy shit! Luna!" Harry spun around. She stepped out of the shadows, covered in bloodstains, but otherwise unharmed.

"Holy shit! What happened to your face?!" She asked, visibly shocked.

"Ran into Malfoy, had a bit of a tussle"

"It looks like you got your ass kicked! Your lip is fat as fuck!... why do you have Neville's sword? Oh fuck... they didn't?" She began.

"No" said Harry quickly, "No, I lost my axe, we switched up weapons. He's with Ron, there heading back to the library, Hermiones in there too"

"Well lets find them, I thought being on my own would work out, but it get's pretty lonely when all your company is Inferi" She said.

They walked off together down the dark corridor.

"What do you mean, being on your own?" Harry asked, "You weren't planning on ditching, right?"

"Well,... kind of. I mean, before meeting you guys in the requirement room, stuff was working out. It didn't take long to realize that bigger groups get hit faster... but it would be nice to have a better weapon..." Luna explained.

"Look, Luna, we really need you. And we're really close to finding a solution. And I don't think Inferi are the worst problem out there..." said Harry.

"Oh really? I don't exactly feel the same way. These things are an extremely rare curse. I think there's only been one other incident, and it was nothing compared to this."

"How do you know so much about these things?" asked Harry.

"I'm surprised no one else has. My father's written all about them in _The Quibbler_."

Harry had to try with all his might to suppress a sigh. _Of course that's why she knows about it, her Dad's wacked out newspaper... still , she's been correct so far._

"Well ,it's still dangerous to go alone, there's worse things roaming the castle right now" He said, changing the subject.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Luna asked.

"Malfoy, and his friends. When we ran into them they were armed to the teeth. And I think they've been grave robbing, they had really nice expensive shit and jewelry. And I think they might have killed a few students too. I wouldn't put it past them." He said in a dark voice.

Luna looked at him for a second, thinking about her next word, "Once again, I think I can handle myself. How exactly did all of you get away from Malfoy and his gang if they're armed to the teeth?" She asked.

"We convinced them to have a fist fight. Inferi showed up in the middle of it. Crabbe didn't make it." He left out a couple parts, like Ron killing Crabbe or who had really started the fight.

"I think there's something you're not telling me. But check it out, there's the library!" Luna exclaimed.

They rushed inside.

* * *

"Oh God... Harry... you're face!?" Cried out Hermione immediately at the sight of Harry's bruises. He noticed Ron and Neville sitting against one of the aisles sporting similar bloodied faces.

"Had a run in with some Inferi-" He began, "BULLSHIT!" Hermione shouted, punching him in the arm.

"You're ... so... fucking... STUPID!" She shouted, punching him harder between each word.

"Bug off!" He backed away.

"You went to fight Malfoy! I know you did, Neville said it immediately!" She exclaimed angrily.

"Neville! What the fuck?!" Harry demanded.

"You fucking idiots, you three risked everything for some stupid boyish feud! God damn it!" She turned away, and immediately in a much brighter tone, "Luna! You're alive! Great to see someone with more than half a brain stem!"

Luna smiled back, "Hey... everybody"

"Hey" said Neville weakly.

"Sup" Said Ron wearily.

"Alright, well, we're all in the library now, and the coast is clear to leave. Did you find anything, Hermione?" He asked.

She glared at him for a second longer before saying, "Yes, I did! There was a page and a half dedicated to this kind of Inferi in _Evil Dead Curses and Monsters_ . There wasn't much information, but we've been going on the right track. It pretty much said the same thing that Luna explained..."_  
_

"Thank you" said Luna.

"... but there is also a way to massively put them down. Actually two methods. One, is fire. Fire destroys them much faster than a regular body, leaving only ash and burnt bone. The other is a very powerful poison, the AntiInferius poison. The fumes it creates send the Inferi into a permanent shutdown, eventually causing them to rapidly decay. The ingredients are actually pretty simple. I'm pretty sure all of them are in the potion's lab. The next step would be distributing it throughout the school..." said Hermione.

"Was there anything about reversing it?" Harry asked.

She shook her head, "No... once you've changed, you're pretty much done. But it did say immediate amputation of a bitten area could prevent the spread."

Harry sighed, "That's sounds just as bad as getting bit."

"Anything's better than turning into one of those monsters" Luna retorted.

"Alright, we'll make the potion, but how are we suppose to spread the fumes through out the school?" He asked.

"There's a ventilation system that goes all through out Hogwarts, and there's several handling locations spread through out the school. I know for sure there's one in the great hall. It was all in _Hogwarts, a History_ " She explained matter-of-factly.

"That books pretty thorough" snorted Ron.

"More like helpful. We just have to make the potion, and put it in the vent. It'll spread throughout the school in hours, killing every Inferi. Theres just one catch to it though..." She trailed off.

"What?" Harry asked.

"It's toxic to uninfected too. If we send this through the vents, it;ll kill everything in the school. We'll have to break the curfew and get outside. But if theres any other survivors in the school, they'll die."

"Shit" said Harry. He thought about for a moment, "It's a risk we'll have to take. I don't know about you, but I've seen way too many Inferi from every house. I don't think there's any other survivors other than us and whoevers in the hospital wing."

Hermione nodded, "It's awful, but what else can we do?"

"What about starting a fire?" Asked Ron.

"Well, that's the back up. Leads to pretty much the same result. Start a fire in the ventilation handler in the great hall, it'll spread through out the school and burn the place down. Same thing as the potion, except we just don't need the potion. Without any teachers to shut off the vents, it'll spread through and burn the school from the inside out."

Harry's stomach twinged at the idea of burning down Hogwarts.

"It's a back up idea. We should head back to the hospital wing now. Tell them we have a plan"

They all got to their feet. Hermione grabbed the book and they headed towards the door.

"Oh yeah, Neville, here" Harry handed him the sword.

"Thanks." said Neville.

Luna let out an obvious cough.

Hermione looked at her awkwardly, "Oh ... right... I was getting used to having it around... you know I used it to kill Madame Pince!" She said, holding onto the Halberd.

"Cool story" said Luna, holding out her hand.

"Oh... alright" Hermione sighed and gave Luna back the halberd.

"Sweet. I was kind of missing the weight of this thing" She smiled.

They left the library, leaving it mildly messier but slightly safer than how they found it.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Just outside the corridor, Hermione stopped.

"Whats up?" Harry asked, "bracing yourself for an angry Hagrid?" he joked.

Hermione shook her head, "No... I think we need a back up plan. Umbridge could have turned in there, maybe things went bad, or maybe they get bad later, and we get split up. Where's our next meeting place?"

"The great hall? We're headed there for the vents anyways" Suggested Ron.

She shook her head, "That place is ground zero. We should only go in there as a group, as it could still be full of House Elves and other Inferi. I'm thinking Moaning Myrtles bathroom. It's on this floor, but far enough from the hospital wing. Just a place to regroup, in case we get separated, and nothing else."

Harry nodded in agreement, "Sounds good. Alright, everyone ready for Hagrid and professor Mcgonagall to freak out on us for leaving?"

They all nodded in agreement. Ron chuckled a little, barely hiding a grin.

"Alright." He knocked on the hospital wing door.

It was silent for a moment. Then it creeped open. Hagrid's nervous face appeared. It instantly changed to joy, and then rage.

"WHAT THE RUDDY HELL, HARRY!? YOU TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED?! WHY DID YOU ALL LEAVE?! WHAT THE HELL?!" He bellowed.

"We're sorry, just let us in! We have good news!"

"GOOD NEWS?! YOU COULD HAVE ALL BEEN KILLED!? I SHOULD LEAVE YOU LOCKED OUT, NOW GET IN HERE!" He bellowed, grabbing Harry and pulling him inside. The others followed quickly.

"POTTER! What were you thinking!?" Professor Mcgonagall stalked towards him, clearly enraged.

"He's a fool, what do you expect" sneered Professor Snape.

She smacked him , Ron and Neville on the side of the head.

"Never try something like that again! Something so pointless! You could have all been killed! What the hell happened to your faces?!" She demanded.

A second later Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry.

"Oh God I thought you hadn't made it!"

He hugged her back, "Yeah... it was close" Harry replied, briefly meeting eyes with an upset looking Cho Chang.

Ginny released him and then hugged Ron and Hermione.

Harry pushed past them to Cho.

"That was so stupid of you to leave..." She said quietly, "But I'm happy your alive." He embraced her immediately and kissed her on the lips.

"Don't worry, we've found out how to stop these things"

Cho's face lit up.

Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall was still berating Ron about trying to leave. Hagrid wasn't helping by occasionally swearing behind them.

"Why did you leave?! What was so important?! You could have all been killed!"

"Please Professor, we've found a solution!"

"YOU RUDDY HELL BETTER HAVE!" swore Hagrid, loud enough t cause the windows to shake.

"Please Hagrid, keep it down!" said Professor McGonagall sharply.

"We found a book that says how to stop these things, Hermione, show it to her!"

Hermione opened the book to the page. Professor Snape walked over and took a look at it along with Professor Mcgonagall. She listened as Hermione explained the plan to spread the fumes through the vents.

Fred, Justin and Cormac walked over to Harry.

"Damn , mate, didn't expect to see you again" said Fred.

"That was pretty badass" said Justin.

"Maybe you can do a thing or two right, eh , Potter?" Said Cormac.

Harry sighed. He watched Professor Mcgonagall's expression. She did not look pleased with the plan, and neither did Hagrid or Snape. He had expected this, but it was disheartening to see. He knew there was no way Hagrid would let them leave again.

"Look, Potter, this plan... it works in theory, but there's too many flaws. As long as umbridge is alive, only she can hold the key to the curfew, and she's catatonic right now" Professor Mcgonagall explained, motioning towards Umbridge, who was lying in the hospital bed with Madame Pomfrey looking over her.

"And even if we could unlock the gate, the fumes from the potion will kill everything in the castle. I'm sorry, but it's not a risk we are willing to take. We can't risk the lives of any other survivors, It's not worth it. We will continue to wait out the night until help arrives. We are safe in the hospital wing. I'm sorry, this is the only option" She said firmly.

"But..." Harry began, but he knew there was no way to argue with her on this case. He sighed and walked over to one of the beds to lie down. A few moments later, Cho Chang approached him.

"I'm sorry about what she said... I think it's a brilliant plan... you were really brave to try that" she said, kissing his neck.

"Thanks... I just... we can end this!" He felt pissed off. He looked at the others, who were experiencing similar feelings of disappointment.

Over by Umbridges bed behind the medical curtain, Madame Pomfrey was checking the headmistresses condition. Her eyes were glazed over, and her skin was losing color. A thin trickle of saliva ran out of mouth down her cheek.

"Professor Umbridge, can you hear me?" Asked Madame Pomfrey.

Umbridge stirred a little.

"Yes, you can hear me?" Madame Pomfrey asked.

Umbridge stirred again, and turned her head, looking Madame Pomfrey in the eyes.

"Yes, you can see me!... wait, what are you doing?... NO!" Madame Pomfrey screamed as Umbridge grabbed her head and pulled her in close, biting her teeth into her neck. Everyone in the hospital wing jumped up and looked at the curtain. Blood splatters all over the other side as Madame Pomfrey screamed again.

"SHE'S TURNED! PUT HER DOWN!" Harry shouted, jumping to his feet.

Hagrid was the first to respond, charging forward to the bed ahead of everyone else.

"Crush her head, Hagrid!" Ron shouted.

"Put her down!" Hermione screamed.

Hagrid grabbed Madame Pomfrey in one hand and Umbridge with other, and pulled them apart, pushing Pomfrey aside to hold down Umbridge.

"KILL HER! KILL HER HAGRID!" Harry screamed.

"Professor! Get the antidote, I'll hold her down! We can help her!" Hagrid shouted to Professor Mcgonagall.

"NO! KILL HER!" Harry, Ron and Neville screamed.

"ARGH!" Hagrid let out a cry as Umbridge bit down on his hand. He released her, grabbing his bleeding hand.

"CUT IT OFF!" Luna ran forward with the Halberd, "AMPUTATE IT!" She raised her Halberd above her head, but Hagrid, in a fit of pain and rage, grabbed the nearest chair and threw it at her, knocking her to the floor.

"Luna!" Neville cried out, running over to help her up.

Behind Hagrid, Madame Pomfrey had changed into an Inferi, and wrapped her arms around his leg, biting into his ankle. He roared again.

"We have to get out of here!" Harry shouted, "Get the door opened, before he turns!" He rushed to the door, pulling the barricades out of the way. Ron, Cho and Ginny joined in, pushing aside the desks.

At the other end of the hospital wing, Hagrid had completely turned. He immediately charged forward and grabbed Cormac McLaggen , tackling him to the floor.

"Get him off!" He screamed as Hagrid tore apart his shoulder with giant teeth. Fred rushed to his aid, trying to pull Hagrid away, but Hagrid easily swiped him away, knocking him to the ground.

"Fuck this!" Fred screamed, running to the door as Cormac McLaggen's spent his last moments screaming in pain.

"Come on, out the door!" Harry screamed, pulling it open. They rushed out.

"Where do we go!?" Ron shouted.

"Moaning Myrtles bath-" Hermione was interrupted as the doors burst open, and they were all knocked to the ground by Hagrid. He looked over all of them and stopped at Ginny, reaching for her.

"Oi! That's my fucking sister!" Ron grabbed a vase of a table and chucked it at Hagrid. It smashed on his back, and he turned to face them.

"Shit! Run!" Ron and the others sprinted off down the hall, Hagrid close behind them.

"RON!" Harry called out, but a split second later the Inferi Cormac and Umbridge leapt out of the hospital wing.

"Fuck! This way!" He ran the other way, with Cho Chang ,Fred and Ginny.

They rushed into the closest classroom. Merely a foot away, Umbridge grabbed Fred.

"Get her off!" He cried. Harry spun around and punched her in the face, causing her to release Fred.

"Everyone inside!" They piled into the empty classroom, and Fred and Ginny immediately began barricading the door with the nearest bookshelf as the Inferi Umbridge tried to push her way in.

"Cho, check the back for weapons, anything!" Harry ordered, but she was already searching the cup boards.

He looked around and saw a dagger stabbed into the table top of a desk. He grabbed it immediately as Cho screamed.

"What the hell?!" He shouted. An Inferi house elf had jumped out a cup board onto her. She had fallen to the floor, just barely holding it off.

"Help me, Harry!" She screamed, holding back it's snapping jaw from her neck.

Harry headed towards her as Ginny let out a scream.

He turned back to see Fred had become an Inferi. Umbridge must had bit him outside the room. Ginny tried to run but he grabbed her arm.

"Get him off! Kill him!" She screamed.

Harry looked back and forth between Cho and Ginny. There was only time to save one.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Help me! Get it off!" Cho and Ginny screamed in unison.

Harry grabbed the handle of the dagger and pulled it out the table. He ran to Ginny and stabbed the knife straight through Fred's eye. The Inferi let out a strange gargling noise as he shook the dagger around inside it's eye socket. His grip loosened and Ginny pushed him away.

"HELP ME!" Cho Chang screamed from the other side of the room.

Harry pulled out the dagger and ran to the other side.

She struggled to hold off the house elf, but it bit into her wrist.

"NO!" She screamed, tears starting to roll down from her eyes. The elf bit again, into her neck. Blood poured out quickly from the artery as Cho began to convulse.

"Mother fucker!" Harry shouted, stabbing the Inferi House elf through the back of the head. He pushed it off her and looked down at Cho. She could not speak as she choked on blood, but the look of betrayal in her eyes said enough.

"I'm sorry" whispered Harry. He put his arms around her, embracing her for one last moment, before breaking her neck.

"Holy fuck..." whispered Ginny, "Harry... you chose me... over her"

Harry nodded, "I did what I had to"

"Oh God... the house elf..." said Ginny weakly.

Harry looked over at the corpse of the Inferi'd house elf.

"Fuck... they got Dobby too..." He closed the dead elf's eyes.

A second later the door burst open and an Inferi umbridge charged towards them.

Harry got to his feet and stared her in the eye as she came closer and closer.

"Die, you fat fucking cunt!" He shouted, running the dagger through her face within a foot. The stopping power caused her feet to slip up, and she fell to the floor with a newly punctured facial scar.

"Shes getting-" Ginny began, but Harry curb stomped the Umbridge Inferi in the face. A second later Cormac Mclaggen's Inferi came in. Ginny grabbed a desk and shoved it in front of his path, and flip over it and fell to the floor. He struggled to his feet but Harry held him down with his foot and and stabbed him through the forehead.

"Too fucking close" He growled. He looked down at Umbridge's body and saw a key around her neck. He yanked it off her and looked at it.

"This is the key to unlock the curfew..." He whispered.

"I think that was the last of them, other than Hagrid..." Ginny's expression turned to one of horror, "Oh fuck... He went after Ron! We have to find them!" She ran out the room but stopped at the corridor, unsure which way to go, "Do you know where they would have went?" she asked.

"Yeah, we made a plan to go to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom as a back up. I think that's the best place to start"

She nodded in agreement, "Let's try to not draw much attention... one knife won't hold do any good if we get outnumbered" she said.

Harry nodded in agreement.

They quickly sneaked through the first floor, always listening for the sounds of a raging giant or cries for help, but they heard neither.

* * *

"Holy shit! holy shit! HOLY SHIT!" Panted Ron as he paced back and forth, baseball bat in hand.

"Ron! Shut up! He might come back!" Hissed Hermione.

"Holy shit! Did you fucking... do you even?! What the fuck just happened!?" Ron spluttered.

"Please Weasley, control yourself!" ordered Proffesor McGonagall.

"Holy fuck... Where the fuck did he go?!" Ron demanded. He looked around the bathroom for answers.

Neville and Justin were keeping a look out by the door. Professor Mcgonagall and Professor Snape were trying to gather their thoughts. Hermione was sitting leaned against the bathroom stall door and Luna was gazing out one of the windows. Moaning Myrtles ghost floated above them, looking at the situation with delight.

"God damn... I never thought I would be running from Hagrid. Not like that. Fuck man, anyone but Hagrid! God damn it!"

"Someone's coming!" hissed Neville, sword drawn, "I can hear footsteps!". Him and Ron were the only ones who still had a weapon.

Everyone went silent.

Neville peered through a crack in the door.

"Holy... It's Harry and Ginny! They're alive!" He whispered excitedly to the others.

"Oh God! Ginny! She made it! Let me at them!" Ron pushed open the door and ran out to them.

"GINNY! HARRY!" He embraced both of them before they could answer.

"Holy shit! Hagrid, man, they fucking got Hagrid!"

"Ron, did anyone else make it?!" Harry demanded.

Ron nodded, "Yeah, everyone's here... Oh man, you won't even believe it. So we're running, right? Hagrid's right behind us, and fucking Professor Flitwick come's out from around a corner holding a fire poker... he had like four first years behind him... and he didn't run... fuck man... we just kept going..."

"Can we get inside please? I don't want to be caught in this fucking hallway!" Growled Ginny.

"Oh... yeah" They rushed inside the bathroom and Neville shut the door.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted, running over to hug him, "Oh God... we never expected Hagrid to go..." She released him and then asked, "Wait... where's Cho? And Fred?"

Harry shook his head.

"Umbridge got Fred just before we hid in a room. He turned just as we barricaded the door" Ginny explained.

"Oh God..." whispered Hermione. Ron's expression was devastated. Two of his brothers, dead.

"Get's worse. Dobby was infected and in the room. He jumped Cho as Fred grabbed me."

"I made a choice. I don't want to talk about it" said Harry, walking away towards one of the windows. Ginny filled them in on the rest of the details.

The clock on the wall said it was about three AM. They were all tired and restless, and with every hour there numbers dropped. After a few minutes, Ron walked over to him.

"Hey man... I just want to say thanks. For saving Ginny. Fuck, I don't even want to think about the kind of choice you had to make"

Harry nodded, "I made a choice."

"Yeah man... we look out for each other. And we always will" said Ron.

They looked at each other and nodded.

A few minutes passed before Professor McGonagall cleared her throat loudly, hinting at them to draw close.

"I've discussed the situation with Professor Snape, and after recent events, I think it is time we take matters into our own hands. Professor Snape?" She asked.

Professor Snape stepped forward, "I've looked over the ingredients of the potion, and all of them are inside the potion classroom. I shall go and brew the potion"

Professor McGonagall continued, "The next step is finding a deposit point. There is one in the Great hall, but this leaves a problem. We don't how many Inferi are inside the great hall."

"That's easy enough to fix, Professor" Said Ron, emphasizing his baseball bat, "Most of us can take out these fuckers"

She nodded in agreement, "IF it were any other time, I would say no. But there isn't any other option. The last step is leaving the castle. With Professor Umbridge dead, the position of Headmistress falls on me. Only a headmistress or Headmaster can lower the curfew, but unfortunately, we need the key"

"I got it!" said Harry, pulling out the key from his pocket, "Snatched it off Umbridge after curb stomping her face."

"I'll take that. The key will only work in the hands of the headmaster, unless there were none, in which case it would move on to the closest 'leader'. Otherwise it will not be accepted in the lock"

Harry shrugged and handed her the key.

"Thank you, Potter. This is not a... good feeling. The anti Inferi potion's vapors are extremely lethal. A litteral purge of the school. But at this point , containment is more important. It is... not something I am proud to admit, but after hearing all your accounts and seeing the strength of these monsters first hand, I doubt there are any students left alive in Hogwarts."

There was a cold heavy silence after her words. Hogwarts would be purged clean of all life.

The silence was interrupted by the loudspeaker of a young woman's voice, "Hello? Is there anybody out there? We just got the intercom to look... please... listen, if there's is any rescue attempt... we are in the headmasters tower! At the top of the grand Staircase!"

"I recognize that voice!" said Ron, "That's Angelina! The Gryffindor chaser!"

Angelina Johnson's broadcast continued.

"There's almost two dozen of us in here, from every house and nearly every age. Please help! We are unarmed, tired and hungry! There's so many of those monsters on this floor! We can't get out of here on our own!"

The intercom went silent.

"We have to help them" said Hermione.

Harry nodded.

"There at the top of the grand staircase! There's at least two house's worth of Inferi up there!" protested Ron.

"We have to help them... we just have to!" said Neville.

"First we have to clear out the great hall. We get them out of the tower and bring them outside with us, then we purge the school" said Professor McGonagall.

"We'll need some more weapons" said Luna.

They all looked at Harry.

"Looks like we got work to do."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

They crept silently through the corridors to the great hall, checking around each corner for signs of Hagrid, but found none. Eventually they reached the entrance hall. A couple Inferi were wandering around aimlessly, but aside from it looked clear.

"We got this" Ron whispered. He crouched down low and got within ten feet of the closest Inferi, as it aimlessly stared up at the ceiling. A thin drool slowly seeped out its mouth.

"Gross" mumbled Ron, before charging it and whacking it over the head with the baseball bat. It fell to the ground and groan, so he crushed it's neck with his foot. The other Inferi turned to investigate, and Neville impaled it from behind with the sword, carving upwards through it's torso and splitting it's body in two.

"Easy" laughed Ron.

The other's caught up.

"Nice one, Ron" said Harry, "Alright, there's the great hall, we should tread carefully in there, we have no idea how many could be in there."

"Me and Neville will take the lead, we're the only ones armed" suggested Ron.

Harry nodded in agreement.

"Most of our gear is still in the hospital wing, We're going to need it if we plan on reaching those students in the headmaster's tower" said Luna.

"I'll go with her, I can help carry things" piped in Justin.

"Alright, you two get whatever you can from the hospital wing, are we ready to go?" The others nodded.

"I shall brew the potion" added Professor Snape, and he headed off for the dungeons.

"He is so fucked" whispered Ron with a hint of a smirk.

They approached the huge double doors to the great hall. One was already pushed open.

"I'll go first" whispered Ron, looking around the doorway. He looked back a moment later.

"About a dozen Elves in there, and a handful of Inferi, they look like Slytherin" He whispered.

Harry nodded and pulled out the dagger.

"Is there any weapons in there? Anything we could use?" Asked Hermione.

Ron looked again.

"There's some pretty big looking steaks knives among the cutlery. That's probably your best bet."

"Alright, Ron, Neville, go in first and take out the one's in front, we'll grab the knives. Let them come to us though." said Harry, "On the count of three... one... two..."

Ron and Neville rushed into the great hall, flanked by Harry.

The great hall was a huge mess. The entire Slytherin table was flipped over. House elve's and Inferi were spread out through out the room. A small group of elves saw them enter immediately and charged towards them between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor table.

"Grab the knives, go!" Shouted Ron.

Harry flanked them and grabbed a couple steak knives as the first cluster of elves charged into the awaiting blunt trauma of Ron's baseball bat.

Hermione, Ginny and Professor Mcgonagall came into to the hall last.

"Take them!" ordered Harry, handing out the knives.

"Incoming!" shouted Ginny, as an Inferi and some elves came rushing from the side.

Harry stabbed the dagger through the Inferi's face as the elf tried to wrap itself around his leg. Ginny punted it across the hall, taking out another elf. A third elf leapt of the table towards Him, but Ginny stabbed him through the head in midair .

"We're getting surrounded!" Shouted Ron. Him and Neville were back to the back as a ring of elves had formed around them, "I didn't know they could strategize!" He added.

Harry, Ginny and Hermione ran over to help.

A single elf made it's way to Professor McGonagall, who had her back turned.

"Professor! Look out!" Hermione screamed. She threw her knife, and let out a scream of surprise as it hit the elf through the head, killing it.

Ron clobbered the closest elf, but the two beside it took this opportunity to charge him. Harry and Ginny grabbed them inch's away from Ron's ankle and threw them aside. Ginny tossed it across the room like a gnome, while Harry slammed the tiny Elf's body on the table top and stabbed it through the head.

"Thanks, mate" said Ron.

"I think I got the last of them!" said Neville, decapitating two charging elves with one swing.

"Alright, fan out, check everywhere in the Great hall. We need this place to be secure from the inside. Stab every elf and Inferi you see just to make sure they're dead."

They all nodded in agreement and spread out. Ron made extra sure the elves were dead, by hitting each corpse in the head with his baseball bat.

"I wish he didn't smile while checking them" Ginny groaned to Harry.

* * *

When they knew for sure that the Great hall was cleared, they began to plan out the next stage.

"Alright, everyone, here comes the hard part" said Harry, "The headmasters tower is at the top of the grand staircase. From what we know at this moment, there is possibly the majority of the Gryffindor house up there, wandering around as Inferi. And possibly the Ravenclaw house too. Not to mention Hagrid somewhere charging around in the castle."

Hermione let out a scared noise.

"But there's also students up there. And I can't let them all die just for an easy exit. But I can't make any of you come up with me to that tower. We're not Slytherins."

They all nodded in agreement.

"We're not prepared right now to make it up there" began Ginny, "But once Luna and Justin get back, we'll stand a chance."

"There might be some stuff on the third floor too" Said Neville, "Malfoy and his gang sort of left some of there gear behind, and your axe is probably still at the bottom of the grand staircase too"

"Alright, so even if Luna and Justin don't get back, we know where we can grab more stuff" said Harry.

"What do you mean, even if Luna and Justin don't get back?" Asked Luna, stepping inside the great hall. She was carrying her halberd. Justin followed her in, armed with a crowbar.

"Holy fuck you guy's made it! Any sign of Hagrid?" Harry asked.

Luna shook her head, "Nope, just a couple Inferi, easy to sneak by, even easier to kill on the way back." She took a seat next to them, "So what's the next step, going to the headmaster tower?"

Harry nodded.

"Is everyone going? We're going to be fighting up moving staircases in an easily separable tower full of passages that Inferi could come charging out of off. If anyone's a weak link, they'll be toast, or else the group will be toast"

Her words had an impact on the group.

Harry thought about it for a moment, "She has a point. None of you have to come if you don't want to." He looked at them all.

"Well I'm coming" said Luna immediately.

"You know you can count on me" said Neville.

"Piece of cake, I'm in" said Ron.

"I'll always be by your side" said Ginny.

Harry let out a smile, then looked at Hermione, Justin and professor Mcgonagall.

"I'm staying behind" said Professor McGonagall, "I do not know how well I could keep up, in this situation. My age is not the best for this... and I can explain to Professor Snape what is happening. While I know I cannot convince you to not go, I can tell you that I expect you to do this as safely as possible, with the utmost caution. I don't like to say this, but , Potter... you are our only hope." she said.

Harry nodded, "Thank you Professor" He turned to Hermione.

"I'm going to stay behind. I will keep a look out. I would only be a weak link" said Hermione, "I'm better off here."

"Alright... Justin?" Harry asked.

"Hey man, you guys saved me back there, of course I'm in!" He said with a smile. Harry could see he was nervous and scared on the inside. Secretly he had hoped Justin would back out.

"So... up the giant staircase through the horde of Inferi to save some defenseless students? Piece of cake!" exclaimed Ron with a laugh.

No one joined in.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Here we go..." Whispered Harry, leading them onto the ground floor of the grand staircase. He looked up the tower to the far away ceiling, with moving staircases and dimly lit passages. He could barely see the entrance to the headmasters tower.

"Damn... that's a lot of Inferi" whispered Ron, pointing at the pile of dead and broken students sprawled out in front of them. A couple of the Inferi noticed them and growled, but they're bones were too broken from the fall to move towards them.

"How many of them do you think have just wandered off the steps?" asked Neville.

"Hopefully a lot of them" Replied Ron.

Harry scanned through the Inferi corpses and saw his axe. He tread carefully along the corpses. Even if the Inferi's couldn't walk, they could still bite. He reached the axe.

"Alright, everyone stay close. I think Malfoy left a couple weapons at the third floor entry, but otherwise it's whatever we have on us between here and the top.

They nodded, and the six headed up the first staircase. Halfway up, it swung out, shifting the destination.

"These staircases are so pointless, what jerk off thought it was a good idea?" Asked Ron.

"Well , actually, it was Rowena Ravenclaw who came up with the idea, way back at the founding of Hogwarts" replied Luna matter-of-factly.

"Typical egg heads" muttered Ron.

"Don't be a dick, just roll with it" replied Ginny.

Ron gave Harry a look and sighed. They continued up, eventually reaching the third floor without any opposition.

"Check it out, Malfoy's gang left behind some sweet stuff when they split on us" said Ron, pointing at two war axes that had once belonged to Vincent Crabbe and a bloodied war hammer. Justin immediately reached for the war hammer, but Harry stopped him.

"That thing is too heavy. Hermione tried using a sledgehammer in the room of requirements and nearly got herself killed. Take one of the war axes" He said, handing Justin one of the axes.

"I'll take the other one" said Ginny.

* * *

The next few floors were just as uneventful until Ron hissed at them to stop.

"I heard something, in that corridor" he motioned down the corridor on the sixth floor landing. It was too dark to see, but Harry could hear it too, shuffling.

"Sounds like Inferi" He said. The rest nodded.

"What's our move?" asked Justin.

"It looks dark down there. We can just pass it" said Harry.

"It might not hear us now, but we'll be coming back this way with at least a dozen other's, it might come charging then" pointed out Luna.

"I think we can handle one Inferi" smirked Ron.

"Alright, let's keep going... dang..." He trailed off, watching Neville look out the window. He walked over and looked out. The sky had turned a darkish blue, and light was visible on the horizon.

"Daylight's coming" said Harry.

"Cool, we can watch the sun come up while we poison the Inferi" said Ron.

"Alright, let's go... shit!" Harry hissed.

The Inferi down the corridor had apparently heard them ,as it was now stumbling down the corridor towards them. Harry looked around the entrance quickly.

"Oh my God... It's Proffesor Trelawney! She's one of them!"

Ron and Neville let out a snort.

"I have to do this... man ... this opportunity is too perfect."

Ginny and Luna sighed, "Go for it"

Harry stepped around the corner, in full sight of the corridor.

The Inferi Twelawney saw him and let out a weird gurgling hissing sound. Drool dropped from the former Divinations teachers lips as she burst into a charge towards Harry.

"This is too easy" He chuckled, raising the fire axe.

Within ten feet, the Inferi let out a high pitched war scream. It echoed through the halls and the staircase. A second later Harry cleaved her head right off. Blood sprayed out past him and down the grand staircase.

"Nice one!" Laughed Ron.

His smile faded as the screams and howls of an unknown amount of Inferi echoed out from the corridor.

Harry looked down in fear as a mob of Inferi charged out, an impressive mix of Gryffindor's and Ravenclaws.

"SHIT!" He looked quickly at the others, who were about to bolt, "Wait around the corner, I'll draw them away, then get to the tower!" He ordered, then charged down the staircase, yelling as loud as he could "COME HERE YOU FUCKERS! COME GET ME!"

He ran down the stairs to the fifth floor landing. He turned back to check for a second as the mob of Inferi chased after him down the stairs, oblivious to the other survivors.

"GO FOR THE TOWER!" He shouted, before running down the fifth floor corridor. Escape plans raced through his mind as he tried to remember any seceret passages or escapes in the fifth floor corridor, but none came to mind.

The swarm of Inferi continued behind him, slowly catching up.

_God Damn it! Why did I think killing Trelawney was a good idea!?_

He turned a corner and continued sprinting, but soon he would be out of breathe. He saw a door out of the corner of his eye, and rushed through it immediately, slamming the door shut as the Inferi rounded the corner.

Instinctively, he looked for the nearest thing to block the door with. A bookshelf caught his eye. He pushed it in front of the door, and waited silently. He heard the Inferi outside the room, but they did not beat on the door. Perhaps they had not seen him.

He looked around and took in the classroom. Although it was dark, he could see that it was the muggle studies classroom.

There was only one source of light, coming from a battery powered lamp at the other side of the room. Three figures stood around it. Behind them was a poster for some muggle movie, showing a woman being dragged underground by an undead arm, simply titled **THE EVIL DEAD.**

"Potter!" Spat one of the figures.

Harry looked closely and groaned.

Draco Malfoy, Gregory Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson were the three survivors, hiding out in the classroom. He noticed Pansy quickly hide something a bag on the table.

"You motherfucker, Potter! You got Crabbe killed!" Malfoy spat.

"Fuck off , Malfoy, this isn't the time!" growled Harry.

Goyle stepped forward, cracking his hands.

"You're not getting out of here this time Potter, you're going to die for getting Crabbe killed, you piece of shit. There's three of us and only one of you." said Malfoy.

Harry noticed quickly they were unarmed. He smiled smugly, holding the fireaxe casually at his side.

"Looks like I'm the one with a weapon. Maybe if you hadn't booked it back at the library and left your shit behind." said Harry.

Malfoy eyed up the fireaxe nervously. He opened his mouth to speak but Pansy interrupted him.

"Fuck, come on boys, this is fucking stupid! Are any of you seeing what's going on out there! This isn't the time to fight like this!"

Her high pitched voice felt like a cheese grater on Harry's eardrums, but she was right. He lowered his axe.

"She's right, if any of us want to get out of here alive... WHAT THE FUCK?!" Harry raised the axe again, just noticing the movements coming from a bloody bag on a table behind Pansy.

"What the hell's in that bag?!" He demanded.

"Shit..." whispered Pansy.

"None of your business!" Growled Malfoy.

"I knew that was a bad idea!" Groaned Goyle.

"OPEN THE BAG!" Harry demanded again.

Pansy dumped out the contents of the bag onto the table. Out fell a discolored decapitated head of a male student. The decapitated head looked up at them, slowly moving it's jaw and watching them.

"Why the fuck do you have a decapitated head in a bag!? Kill it!" ordered Harry.

"NO!" Screamed Pansy, putting herself between the head and Harry.

"Who the fuck is that?!" Harry demanded.

"A GOOD FRIEND!" She cried out.

"Step aside!" Harry ordered.

"Mind your own fucking business, Potter!" Screamed Malfoy, pushing Harry back.

"Fuck you!" Harry punched Malfoy in the face. He fell backwards, knocking into Pansy. Goyle stepped forward, but Harry was too quick and he kicked him square in the crotch, causing him to fall to the floor.

"I'm putting that thing down!" shouted Harry, but Pansy let out a different kind of scream.

"OH God! Zabini! NO!" She screamed.

The three boys all backed away as Pansy screamed, trying to pull away the decapitated head that had just bitten into hand.

"I got it!" Goyle shouted, grabbing the head from the back. He yanked it away from her, causing it to tear open her hand with it's teeth.

Pansy screamed even louder.

"Oh God, Baby, what the fuck?!" Malfoy cried out. Harry could literally see his mental health cracking and slipping away. He had to put Pansy down now or she would turn-

"FUCK! OH GOD!" Goyle shouted as Pansy bit into his shoulder and neck, spraying blood everywhere.

Harry lifted the axe to kill them both, but Malfoy pushed him out of the way and ran to the door, knocking Harry off his balance to the floor.

"WHY THE FUCK DID YOU BLOCK THE DOOR!" He screamed, pushing away the bookshelf. Harry was about to get to his feet but stayed low as Pansy released her jaw on Goyle's neck and turned towards Malfoy.

They locked eyes for an instant, and she sprinted off towards him.

Harry jumped to his feet and grabbed the fireaxe. Goyle look up at him while trying to stem the blood pouring from his shoulder. He would turn any second.

The head of Zabini Blaize lay on the floor, it's jaw snapping, his eyes hungrily starring at Harry.

Harry shook his head "What. the. fuck." He said, euthanizing Goyle with the fire axe and stomping on the dismembered head.

"HELP ME!" Malfoy screamed again. Harry looked over.

He was desperately trying to wrestle Pansy away from him, who was trying with all her might to bite him.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"FUCKING HELP ME!" Malfoy screamed, looking Harry in the eyes.

_He wouldn't do the same for me._

"OH GOD! ARGH!" Pansy overpowered him and bit into his shoulder. He was done for.

Harry swung the axe and carved through Pansy's brain. The force of the axe was enough to knock her to the ground. A thin strand of Malfoy's flesh tore out of his shoulde,r still lodged in her tooth. He sank to his knees against the wall, sweat pouring down his face.

"Why... why did you wait?" He asked, looking Harry in the eye. His skin was already losing it's color. It was like watching a fever take its tole on a body in seconds.

"You're bit, you're done for" said Harry emotionlessly.

"Fuck you, man... fuck..." He was starting to shake. His eyes glazed over.

_He would have done the same to me_

His breathing changed from fast paced to the slowness of the Inferi. His lifeless eyes met with Harry as a low gurgling sound built up in his lungs.

The axe cleaved through his skull with ease, euthanizing the Inferi Malfoy.

Harry yanked the axe out of the lifeless body and pushed the bookshelf out of the way of the door. He listened intently against the door but could not any Inferi on the other side.

Quietly, he opened the door and creeped out down the hall back to the grand staircase. The Inferi had passed on to another sectin of the school, and the coast was clear.

_He tried to kill me earlier and he left us behind for the Inferi back at the library. He deserved it. He would've just died once we set off the poison. He deserved it._

No matter what he thought, he could not shake the feeling that he should have helped Malfoy. It didn't matter now, it was too late.

He reached the grand staircase and looked up the tower. The entrance to the headmasters tower was only a few staircases up. He looked down to the bottom floor and could see light beginning to shine through the windows of the lower floors.

Dawn had come.

All thoughts of guilt passed when he reached the headmasters tower.

"Harry! You're alive!" shouted Jordan.

"Hey man, what's the situation?" He asked.

"I'm keeping watch... the others are inside the tower, a whole bunch of survivors! Come on, I think they were arguing about something... and I really don't want to stay out here any longer..."

They entered the headmasters tower, closing the door behind them. A spiral staircase led up to the office.

Harry heard the voice of Angelina Johnson first.

"I'm sorry, but he's probably dead! We're fucking tired of hiding in here, we need to get moving!"

Ginny spat back an angry reply, "He's not fucking dead! Give him fucking time!"

"We've spent enough time waiting! We need to get out of here!" Angelina shot back.

Harry walked into the office.

"HARRY!" Ginny shouted. She immediately embraced him. He hugged her back strongly.

"Oi! What the hell!" Ron shouted.

Ginny released her hug and punched him hard on the arm, "What the fuck?! Don't try that shit again! You almost got killed for the stupidest fucking reason!"

"He's alive! Can we fucking go now?!" Angelina Johnson demanded.

Harry took a moment to take in the room. He had been in the headmasters tower before, but had never seen it this crowded. About two dozen students of all ages were crowded around the room, with survivors from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Some had armed themselves with a variety of objects, from candlesticks and lamps to fire pokers and table legs. Angelina appeared to have taken up the leadership position of the group, armed with a beater's bat.

"Yeah... just give me a minute" said Harry, "it's not as easy as you think"

Angelina and the other survivors let out a collective sigh.

Ron, Neville and Luna walked over to him.

"What's up man? You look a bit... off" said Ron.

Harry nodded, "I ran into some old friends... Malfoy, Goyle and Pansy"

"Fucker's" growled Ron and Neville simultaneously, "So what happened?" Asked Ron.

"I'm not sure, I managed to lose that horde of Inferi by hiding in the muggle studies room... but I wasn't the only one there."

He cleared his throat, "You know Zabini Blaise? That Slytherin prick?" Asked Harry.

"Yeah, he's a piece of shit" said Neville.

"They were carrying his head around in a bag... No fucking idea why" He said, noticing their shocked expressions, "But they're dead now. We got into a scrap, the head bit Pansy, next thing you know everyone's bit and changing. Only reason I got out alive was because of this," He held up the fire axe, "Shit got fucked in there."

"So... you're saying... the decapitated head was still able to bite?" Asked Neville, his face suddenly pale.

"Not a big surprise, the brain is what needs to be destroyed" chimed in Luna.

"That's so... wrong... Just on so many levels" said Neville.

"They were idiots for carrying around an Inferi head. They would have been bitten eventually" said Ginny, as if she knew what Harry needed to hear.

"Fuck, mate... if I go, don't carry my head around as a way to remember me, alright? Just put me down" Said Ron.

"that isn't happening" said Harry.

"Besides... if you get bit, I'll just take off your head" said Luna with a smile.

They look at her with a disturbed expression.

"What? It was a joke! He makes them all the time!" sighed Luna.

"Are you all done talking yet?! We want to GO." Demanded Angelina.

"Right... yes. But, we need to go over a couple things first, so everyone gather around" ordered Harry.

The survivors gathered around, tensely holding their makeshift weapons. Outside, Harry could see the morning sun in the sky.

"Right, so here's the plan. Professor McGonagall and Hermione are holed up in the Great Hall. They have the key to the castle to break the curfew that Umbridge set before she was turned. There is an unknown amount of Inferi between us and them, but they're spread out through the school. If we're going to survive, we have to stick together and keep moving. They most likely outnumber us, but we have a clear destination in mind. I don't know what most of you have seen, but there is a way to kill these things. Destroy the brain, or decapitate them, and they are subdued. If you are bit, you will turn within seconds. If you are overwhelmed, or fall behind, there will be no help or rescue. If you are separated, take the fastest and safest route to the great hall. We will move as a group, I'll take the lead with Ron and Ginny, Neville, Jordan and Luna will take the flank. The stairs will move and probably separate us, but as long as we stay in the tower we will be together. If we cannot reach you, you will be on your own. I'm sorry, this is the only way" He looked around at the gathering of survivors and his friends. There were nearly thirty of them, but he knew not all of them would make it. He could see the sentiment reflected in their faces.

"Alright... not the friendliest speech... but he's right. We have to move out of here. No more time hiding up here, it's time we get the hell out of this castle!" exclaimed Angelina Johnson. There was a disheartened cheer through the crowd.

Harry nodded to Ron and Ginny, but as he turned to leave something caught his eye. He stopped and saw the sorting hat resting on one of the tables. Something glinted to him from inside.

He walked over to it.

"What are you...?" Angelina asked.

He reached in the hat, and felt something solid in his hand. He wrapped his grip around it and pulled out the hilt of a ruby pommeled sword.

"How the fuck...?" Ron began.

Harry pulled out all the way, and in his hands he held the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

"Holy shit mate!" exclaimed Ron.

The blade seemed to reflect the light and shine in the morning sun. It instilled a sense of courage and valor in him. The feeling was mutual through out the room.

"Hey, Angelina... take this" He said, handing her his old axe, "It'll do more damage than that stubby little beater's bat" he said, not tkaing his eyes of the gleaming sword.

He looked to the door.

"Let's move out!"


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The thirty survivors looked out over the headmasters landing, down the grand staircase. It seemed higher than before. Harry watched closely as the stairs shifted from landing to landing. There would be no set path to follow. He knew it would be difficult.

"Alright... let's move out..." They began their march down the first staircase.

They moved slowly down the steps. Harry was too well aware of how loud they sounded. The footsteps echoed off the walls . He looked around at the group. They had no concept of how to move through the castle silently. He could tell Ron and Ginny felt the same way.

He looked down the hall of one of the passages. Thankfully the sunlight illuminated the corridors, and he could see it was clear.

They continued down the steps. With half the group on, the steps dislodged at the top, and moved across the hall to a different landing.

"Shit" growled Ron.

They looked back at the other half of the group. Luna and Neville were attempting to keep them calm, but some of the younger students began to lose their grip.

One snapped.

"What are we going to do!?" A second year screamed. Luna immediately covered his mouth, but two of his friends began to freak out.

"You're going to leave us to die!" One of them screamed.

"Make the steps come back!" The other cried out.

"What do we do?" growled Angelina to Harry.

"We move on, Luna and Neville will get them through, look, another staircase has moved to that landing..." He said, and sure enough, a second staircase shifted to the landing.

"It looks like the school has split us apart" said Ginny, watching the other half of the group rush down the steps. Harry noticed it too. It looked like there were two paths of staircases crisscrossing up and down the tower.

"Nothing to do except move on..." He said.

They continued as two split groups, nearly at the fourth floor when Harry stopped his group. An inferi had wandered onto the landing they were headed to.

"I got this one..." He walked forward, raising the sword. The Inferi looked him in the eye, and before it could make a sound, it's head was sliced clean off it's body.

"Nice one" said Ron.

"Holy shit!" Someone screamed from the other group. Harry and Ron looked over the railing to see several Inferi charge out from different classrooms and floors into the grand staircase.

"Above us!" Ginny screamed. He looked up to see Inferi charging out from every doorway and floor above.

"Down below!" Ron shouted. Harry looked down to see more Inferi rushing from the lower floors.

"Behind you!" Angelina screamed, and Harry spun around to see five Inferi charging towards him from a corridor.

"Everyone stick together!" He ordered, but the survivors had already lost their grip, as both groups split up and scattered on the steps. As if sensing the chaos, the staircases began to disconnect and move, turning the grand staircase into a multi floored moving labyrinth.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!?" Harry demanded, suddenly filled with rage. He took it out on the closest Inferi, hacking off his arms as Ron beat the next one to death with his baseball bat. Harry swung the greatsword and sliced off the other two Inferi's heads as Ginny hacked one to pieces with the war axe. She looked back to see one terrified first year running _up_ the steps, as if unaware of the Inferi rushing down towards them.

"Shit!" she shouted, running after them as Harry and Ron eviscerated the last Inferi.

"THIS IS A FUCKING AMBUSH!" Luna exclaimed on the other side of the tower, back to back with Neville. The two of them sliced through a stampede of Inferi while the other survivors ran away in a disorganized rush

"Stick together! Hold them off!" Harry shouted.

"God damn it!" Ginny cried out. He looked up to se the first year succumbing to a bite as Ginny threw an Inferi over the railing of the steps. She did not see him turning.

"Ginny!" Harry cried. He ran up the steps after her, but two Inferi fell from several floors above. One landed between him and Ron while the other landed a couple feet away. He swung the sword, slicing it at the midsection, but it's torso merely fell forward on him. He blocked it and pushed it over the edge while Ron beat the other Inferi with the baseball bat.

"Look out!" Harry shouted. He began to run to her, but lost his balance and fell forward. She saw him fall, then noticed the suddenly turned Inferi at her feet. It growled at her before she brought down the war axe on it's head.

"Behind you!" Harry shouted getting to his feet.

She spun around and grabbed an Inferi inches away from biting her in the face.

Harry wasn't close enough. He cried out to her as it's jaw got closer and closer to her neck, before she completely shifted her body weight and threw it over her shoulder down to the bottom of the great tower.

Harry recognized the falling corpse for a second before it hit the ground as Micheal Corner. He felt a pang of guilt, remembering how he had sent Micheal to this fate.

"Looks like our break up is final!" Ginny laughed, watching her Inferi ex crash below.

"Shit, that was too close, we have to get moving!" said Harry.

Ginny nodded.

"Oi! You fuckers, go to the great hall! Where the fuck are you going!?" Ron shouted over the balcony, watching the confused survivors scatter down random corridors into oncoming Inferi. Harry and Ginny caught up to him.

"These fucks are all going to be dead in minutes!" Ron swore.

"Let's just keep moving!"

They rushed down the next two steps, where Angelina Johnson stood between three students and a couple Inferi, using the fireaxe to push the Inferi away. Harry and Ron made quick work of the Inferi.

"Get them out of here!" Harry ordered to Angelina.

"NO! I've got to help the others! I can still save them!" Angelina spat back.

"Did you hit yourself in the head with that beater club?! Get to the great hall!" Ron exclaimed.

"FUCK YOU! I'm the one who got everyone to the Headmaster tower, I won't abandon them now!" Angelina spat back.

"Incoming!" Ginny shouted, as several Inferi came charging down the staircase towards them. Harry sighed, took a step forward and quickly hacked and slashed them to pieces.

"Alright, Ginny, take these three to the great hall, we'll try to round up the others" He ordered.

"Alright..." She looked at him for a second, then grabbed him and kissed him hard on the lips.

"Oi! What the hell!" Ron spluttered.

"I wasn't going to let you go again without that" she whispered, then rushed off with the three students down a corridor towards an alternative route.

Harry stood there stunned for a moment, before Ron slapped his face back to reality.

"We're talk about _that_ later, let's get going!"

They rushed down the steps, beating down two more Inferi in the way. At the other end, Neville had rounded up a few more of the survivors.

The staircase shifted as they were five feet away and swung out. Ron made the jump to the landing, but Harry and Angelina were left behind.

"Get them to the Great Hall!" Harry shouted, as the staircase swung around to the other side of the tower.

"God damn it! I hate these things!" Angelina screamed.

Harry looked around. The staircase was swinging towards a landing crowded with Inferi.

_Fuck that._ He looked down to see Luna, Jordan and a third year on a walkway below, finishing off an Inferi.

"Angelina, we have to jump!" Harry shouted.

She didn't argue, and they both sprinted and leapt off the edge of the steps onto the walkway below.

"Holy shit!" Justin exclaimed in surprise.

"Nice of you to drop in" said Luna.

Harry gave her a smile and looked around. They were on a walkway on the second floor. The entrance hall doorway was one floor down across from them. He could see Ron and Neville leading a small band of survivors away, crushing and hacking apart the Inferi stragglers that stood in their path.

"Come on, there's a corridor around we can take over here!" The third year piped in, leading them to a doorway, "Let me just open it-"

SMASH!

The door exploded open. Hagrid stood in the threshold as a mighty half giant Inferi. He let out a roar louder than a jet engine, grabbed the third year, and tore of his head with his jaws.

"HOLY SHIT!" Jordan screamed.

Angelina Johnson ran forward with the fire axe and cleaved it into his arm. Hagrid let out a second roar and back handed slapped her several feet into the air across the grand staircase. Her body smacked against one of the staircases in mid turn and seemed to crumble in mid air before hitting the hard brick floor as a shattered bloody heap.

Harry didn't even have to scream run as they bolted down the walkway into a corridor.

"What do we do!?" Jordan screamed. He was slowly falling behind them.

"DON'T STOP RUNNING!" Harry shouted. Hagrid was charging towards them and gaining in on them with every second.

"SHIT!" Jordan cried out as he lost his footing and fell to the ground.

"Jordan!" Luna screamed and skidded to a halt, spinning on spot.

"Luna! Don't do it!" Harry tried to stop himself and fell forward. He turned around to see her holding the Halberd in her hands, ready to fight.

Hagrid was upon Jordan in a second. He grabbed him and bit into his arm. Jordan screamed as Hagrid's powerful jaw tore his arm right out it's socket, spilling out blood all over Hagrid's beard.

Luna sped towards Hagrid as he went down to tear off Jordans head.

_He's distracted..._

She stabbed the pike end of the halberd into Hagrid. He let out a roar of pain, and backhanded her into the wall as a knee jerk reaction. She smashed against the wall with a distinctive **crack** as if she were hitting a speeding car, and slid to the floor. _  
_

"Luna!" Harry cried out. Hagrid looked up at him with the eyes of a killer, his entire front stained in blood. He grabbed the halberd and yanked it out. Luna had missed his head by an inch.

He let out a low growl and charged to Harry.

"No! Not like this!" He grabbed the sword and charged towards the raging half giant. He closed his eyes , ducked and swung at the last moment.

When he opened them, Hagrid was lying on the floor a few feet away, howling in pain, both of his legs cut off at the knee.

"Holy shit... Luna!" He rushed over to her. One of her legs was bent at the knee and broken, and he knew more of bones were probably broken.

"Oh fuck... Luna! Come on! We can get through this!" He cried out, holding her broken body.

She looked up at him, "I didn't... think... didn't think I would... miss... this time..." she whispered, before coughing up blood.

"Oh Fuck! Oh fuck! fuck! FUCK!"

He didn't notice that Jordan had turned Inferi and was creeping towards him.

"Luna... come on... stay with me... fuck..." he pleaded.

She looked up at him, trying to utter out a sound. She could see Jordan out the corner of her eye, creeping towards them.

"fuck... fuck... FUCK! ARGH!" He screamed as Jordan bit into his ankle .

"NO! NO! NOOOOO!" He grabbed Jordan by his hair and yanked him away, howling in pain as his jaw tore the flesh from his ankle.

With all her strength, Luna drew out a hidden dagger from her belt.

Harry saw it and grabbed it from her, stabbing Jordan in the head.

"I won't... I won't let you see me..." He looked her in the eyes. He could see her horror and knew he was changing. A headache pounded in the back of his brain as he struggled to maintain his sanity. It was not like watching it slip away, but more like watching every part of his body being decimated and forced back together.

He held the knife above her head.

She nodded.

He stabbed her in the head, and then felt himself go as the curse took over.

* * *

"That can't be everyone, where's Jordan? Luna?! Where's Harry?! What the fuck happened out there!?" Hermione screamed, looking back and forth between Ron , Ginny and Neville. Between the three of them, only ten other students had reached the great hall. They had barricaded the great doors with the house tables, but now a new problem had set in.

"I don't know! The staircases split us up! He was with Angelina!" replied Ron, "This has happened before, he'll make it back! He's got Godrick Fucking Gryffindors sword on him! He can't die!"

"Will you two please calm down! We have to plan out the next step!" said Ginny, "What is the next step?"

They looked at Professor McGonagall.

"I'm afraid things have gotten a little complicated... Professor Snape has not returned from the dungeons yet with the potion. I am... fearful..."

Hermione and Ron exchanged glances.

"You don't think... he got bit... right?" asked Neville.

"I don't think he knew what he was going up against" said Hermione.

"Can you... can you make the potion?" Asked Neville.

Hermione nodded, "If I had the ingredient list. Professor Snape took it... if he got bit, he's probably close to the potions room. I could make it easily"

"You're not going alone... I'll get you there" said Neville.

"If Neville's going then I'm going, This place is easily barricaded" said Ron. They looked at Ginny.

"I'm staying behind... until Harry get's back. We'll catch up with you guys. Good luck" She said.

Ron smiled, "Alright... into the dungeons...


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19.

The trio stood in front of the entrance to the dungeons, Ron wielding his baseball bat, Neville with his sword and Hermione with a fire poker.

"Ready?" Ron asked.

"Let's just finish this" said Hermione.

They set off into the dungeon. It was dark and cold in the dungeon. The sunlight did not reach into this par of the school. Eventually they reached a balcony overlooking a large open clearing.

"That's the entrance to the potions room..." Hermione said, pointing to the other side.

They walked down the steps and quickly rushed into the potions lab. A cauldron was already set up over a flame, and many of the ingredients were prepped on a table beside it.

"It looks like he started already..." Hermione began, "shit!" she hissed. They ducked behind a desk and looked up.

Two Slytherin Inferi stood on the far side of the class.

"I got them..." said Ron. He quickly and silently reached the other side of the room. In two seconds both Inferi were knocked down dead on the floor.

"Easy as pie..." He said.

"Behind you!" Hermione squeaked.

Ron spun around just as an Inferi Professor Snape lunged for him. He smacked Snape in the face with the bat, knocking him to the floor.

"Mother fucker!" Ron spat, before crushing Snape's skull.

"Nice one!" exclaimed Neville.

They quickly searched the corpse and found the potion instructions.

"Alright... this might take a little time..." said Hermione.

"Sounds good, we'll barricade the doors" said Ron.

* * *

Ginny sat behind a support pillar in the entrance hall. It was too depressing being in the Great Hall, and she knew she could keep watch easier on this side of the door. Only a couple Inferi stragglers had found their way to the great hall, and she quickly felled them with her war axe. Now it was just a waiting game.

Something caught her attention. The awkward footsteps of an Inferi was easily distinguishable from the regular steps of the living. She grasped her war axe tightly, prepared to put down one more. She could tell it was only one, and felt a minor disappointment that it was just another Inferi creeping up instead of the living.

She looked around the pillar and saw it's back turned to her. An easy kill.

She crept out and walked slowly towards it, ready for the kill.

Within ten feet, it heard her and turned.

"...no..." She said quietly , stopping dead in her tracks, face to face with the Inferi Harry Potter.

Only one tear went down her face as she shut herself off mentally. It was easier to go through the motions in a mindless state, as if watching from afar as the war axe crashed down through Harry's skull and scrambled his brains, ending him.

* * *

"And... done!" said Hermione happily, half an hour later.

"You sure?" asked Ron.

"Yep, we cook this potion in the ventilation unit, the whole school will fill with it's fumes. We all leave, Inferi die. Everything's good."

"Beats burning the place to the ground" said Neville.

"Let's get going. Just think, after this, we'll never have to come to this dungeon again" said Ron.

"What do you mean? Do you think they would permanently shut down Hogwarts after this?" asked Hermione.

"Well, there's not really a teaching faculty left, eh?" He said, dismantling the barricade.

"You got that right" said Neville in agreement.

"Yeah... but still... I guess I never though of that..." Hermione trailed off.

They dismantled the barrier and opened the door, but Ron shut it quickly.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked. Neville and Ron's faces had both turned pale.

"You ever wonder why we don't see any Slytherin Inferi?" He asked, "... well... we found them."

Out in the clearing in front of the potions lab, was a swarm of Inferi Slytherin. At least two dozen.

"Oh fuck... shit" swore Hermione.

Rom acted fast. He searched through all the potion drawers and put on an alchemists belt and proceeded to fill every pocket with any knife he could find.

"How the fuck are we going to pass this?" Hermione asked.

Ron shook his head, "You're going to pass this, both of you. You'll get that potion to the Great hall, get everyone out, and poison all these fucking assholes. And I'm going to stay down here, and kill as many of these fucking assholes as I can, so you two can make a run."

"Ron..." Hermione began.

"Don't argue with me on this one. Joke times over. Everyone's taking a turn leading the Inferi away, now it's mine."

"Come on ,man" pleaded Neville.

"Neville, you're a great guy... but this isn't the time. I'll miss you guys, and everyone else... but I have to do this, it's either me or all of us"

He embraced them both, and approached the door.

"Listen, once it's clear, make a bee line for the great hall, fuck everything else, you understand?" He asked.

Hermione and Neville nodded.

"Alright... here we go..."

He opened the door, grabbed his baseball bat, and charged out.

"OI! COME AT ME YOU COCKSUCKERS! FUCK YOU! I'M THE FUCKING WEASLEY KING!"

Hermione and Neville followed quickly to see the swarm of SLytherin's quickly surround Ron as he swung his baseball bat around like a twister, knocking teeth and blood through the air.

They sprinted across the clearing to the steps. Neville looked back to see Ron lose his baseball bat. He pulled out two knives from his belt and stabbed them through the two nearest Inferi in the head, pushing them back. Four more quickly took their place.

Neville had to make a choice.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The Inferi had completely surrounded Ron as he tried to wrestle them away. He could feel their breathe on his neck as their jaws struggled closer and closer.

"Neville, let's go!" Hissed Hermione, who had already run up the steps.

Neville shook his head, "The way back is clear, I'm getting him out of there!" He brandished the sword and charged into the fray, decapitating the two nearest Inferi. Heran the sword through the next one, carving it to pieces. They took note of him, and five were immediately upon him, but he did falter as he hacked and slashed through the wall of undead.

Ron saw him through the corner of his eye.

"What are you doing?!" He shouted while trying to push back the Inferi, "Get back to the great hall!"

"NO!, DUCK!" Neville ordered.

Ron dropped to his feet as Neville swung the sword over head and sliced through the Inferi surrounding Ron.

"Holy shit!" Ron shouted.

"There's more coming!" Neville shouted back, as more slytherin Inferi charged out through a corridor at the other side of the clearing.

Ron recovered his baseball bat and smashed through the face of the closest Inferi.

"We can't lead them back to the great hall! We have to stop them here!" ordered Neville.

"No shit!" exclaimed Ron.

The first wave of Inferi clashed against them, running headlong into a spiked baseball bat and a blade of death. They stood their ground, beating down and decapitating every oncoming Inferi charging out the corridor. Neville sliced off one of the Inferi's heads with such force he losth is grip on his sword and it flew across the room.

"Shit!" He shouted as two Inferi charged towards him.

"I got it!" Ron grabbed one of hthe knives from his belt and threw it at the closer Inferi, hitting it in the side of the head . It fell to the floor dead. The second Inferi grabbed Neville. He fell backwards onto the ground, with the Inferi on top.

"Get this fuck off!" He shouted, but Ron was too busy beating down another Inferi.

He looked around and saw the knife sticking out the dead Slytherins head. The infected student tried to bite into his face, but with one arm he managed to push it back just enough, while reaching for the knife with his free hand.

His fingers just glazed the handle as a second Inferi landed on top of the other, trying to get a piece of Neville.

"Fuck! GET OFF ME!" He screamed, wrapping his hand around the handle of the knife, yanking it out of the skull, and stabbing the closer Inferi in the side of the head. The one on top took a chance to bite him in the wrist, but he stabbed it straight through the roof of it's mouth into it's brain.

"Mother fucker!" He swore as a third Inferi charged towards him, "Not happening today!" and he flung the knife at it, hitting it right through the eye and knocking it ot the ground dead.

"Help me up! I can't move like this!" He called out to Ron.

Ron had just finished beating an Inferi's head to a bloody mash, and he rushed over and pushed the pushed the two corpse off Neville.

"Let's finish them off!" he said as he helped Neville to his feet.

The Slytherin house was soon reduced to nothing more than a pile of corpses and dismembered limbs.

"...Holy shit..." whispered Ron, looking at the carnage.

"Did that really just happen?" Asked Neville, "Dude... we just ... holy fuck!"

"Yeah... man... We just did that! Holy shit!" exclaimed Ron.

They looked each other in the eyes and high fived.

"Dude, Harry's not going to fucking believe this shit!" cheered Ron.

"Fuck, man, we just purged the Slytherins! we just fucking purged the Slytherins!" laughed Neville, "This is fucking amazing!"

Ron laughed, "Yeah, hey, where's Hermione?" He asked.

"She went ahead on her own, the way was clear" replied Neville.

"Let's go find her, I bet she didn't expect to see me again!" laughed Ron.

They rushed up the steps and down the corridor to the entrance hall, but stopped when they saw two figures blocking the way.

"Uh oh, Inferi..." whispered Ron sarcastically.

The two figures turned to them and growled. It was then Neville noticed some broken glass and a puddle on the floor.

"...oh fuck..." he whispered. The inferi charged towards them, one, a Slytherin fourth year they did not know. The other had been a girl with thick bushy hair.

"NO!" Screamed Ron. He lifted the baseball bat over his head and brought it down hard on the Slytherin Inferi, killing it instantly. The inferi Hermione tried to grab him, but he pushed her to the ground. She began to climb back up, so he held her down with her foot.

"GOD DAMN IT!" Ron swore, "FUCK!"

She growled and gurgled at him, reaching towards him.

He shook his head, a few tears going down his face, and then struck her with the baseball bat. Her nose broke, but she continued to gurgle and reach for him.

"FUCK!" He swore again, hitting her in the face over and over with the baseball bat, splattering the bottom of his pants and the walls with blood.

"Stop!" Neville shouted, pushing Ron back, "She's dead! It's done!"

"FUCK OFF! I told you both to leave! I was going to hold them off! Why the fuck did you stay!? WHAT THE HELL MAN?!" Demanded Ron.

"They were going to kill you! I couldn't leave you!"

"You should have stayed with her! GOD DAMN IT! FUCK!" He punched the brick wall as hard as he could, "FUCK! Do you know what this means?! One of my best friends is fucking dead, and Hogwarts will have to burn! IT HAS TO FUCKING BURN DOWN NOW!"

"NO!" Protested Neville.

"YES! We can't brew another potion! We're fucked! Hogwarts is fucked! Everythings fucked!" Ron screamed.

"Calm the fuck down ,man!" Pleaded Neville.

"NO! WE'RE FUCKED! THIS ISN'T FUCKING JOKE TIME, WE'RE FUCKED! F , U , C-" Neville punched him in the face.

"Get a fucking hold! Let's just get back to the great hall! Alright?! We have to fucking focus"

Ron held his face where Neville had punched, and nodded slowly.

"Fuck... let's go" he growled.

* * *

When they reached the entrance hall, the first thing was Ginny sitting on her knees in the middle, looking at the floor. She was surrounded by half a dozen dead Inferi. Her war axe lay by her side.

"Ginny!" Ron shouted, running towards her. The only thought running through his head was if she had been bit.

She looked up at him as he ran over. "Oh fuck... thank God... you're not bit" He whispered.

She shook her head.

"What's up, is Harry back?"

She continued to stare at one of the Inferi. Ron took a look too.

"... fuck..."

He looked into the glazed over eyes of his dead best friend. Harry Potter lay on the floor, his head gashed open.

Neville caught up behind him,"What's everyone looking at? What going... oh God..." his voice trailed off. He expected another freak out from Ron, but none came.

They stared at the corpse in silence.

Ron was the first to break it, "Did Luna make it? Where's Jordan? They were all together back in the tower!"

Ginny didn't answered, but pulled out a knife. Ron and Neville immediately recognized it as Luna's.

"Harry had it on him. Inferi don't use weapons. I don't think they made it" whispered Ginny. She looked up at them, "Where's Hermione?"

Ron shook his head.

"And the potion?" She asked flatly.

"Smashed"

Ginny nodded her head, her expression completely neutral.

They looked at the dead body a little longer before Ginny got to her feet.

"We have to end this now. There waiting for us in the great hall. Hogwarts will burn"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"You're alive! But... where's Professor Snape? and Hermione?" Professor McGonagall asked immediately as they entered the great hall.

Ron and Ginny strode by silenty towards the ventilation unit at the back of the hall.

Neville shook his head, "They didn't make it. None of them"

Professor McGonagall let out a small gasp, "Wiat, what are you doing? What about the potion?!" She demanded, noticing Ron and Ginny placing fire wood inside the ventilation unit.

They ignored her.

"It smashed when they got Hermione. There's no one else left. Jordan... Luna... Harry..." His voice trailed off.

Professor McGonagall looked at him shocked. A low cry came out from the other survivors.

"Gather yourselves, we have to leave now" he said to them.

"Fire's set!" Ron called out, closing the grate on the vent, "Hermione said this fire would spread fast to the upper floors. We shouldn't waste anytime.

Professor McGonagall pulled out the curfew key, "It's time we leave this place."

They left the great hall as a silent band, fourteen in total, professor Mcgonagall in the lead. The entrance halls great double doors stood before them.

She stopped at Harry's corpse.

"You're sure Luna and Jordan are dead...?" She asked with a heavy heart.

"He had Luna's knife on him." said Ginny.

"Alright... let's get go-"

She was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps.

"What is that?" She asked. The other survivors began to panic. Ron and Neville drew their weapons, "Something big coming this way!" Ron shouted.

Hagrid came charging out one of the corridors, dragging himself with his large arms like a paraplegic on steroids. His dismembered legs left two trails of blood and bodily fluids behind him. He let out a horrifying roar as he charged towards them.

"TO THE DOOR!" Professor McGonagall screamed, running to the lock.

Hagrid barreled right through the survivors, knocking them aside. He propelled himself forward and tackled Professor Mcgonagall, sending the key flying across the hall.

"HELP ME!" She screamed as he bit deep into her back.

"FUCK! , BACK TO THE GREAT HALL!" Ron ordered. Hagrid looked over his back to see them running away. He let out a second howl and charged after them.

"SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! SHIT!" Ron swore as they rushed into the great hall, "CLOSE THE DOORS! BARRICADE THEM!"

They slammed the doors shut. A few of the students rushed to pull over a table as Neville and Ron pressed against the door.

"I hear him com-!"

SMASH!

Hagrid slammed against, easily breaking it open. Ron and Neville were flung to the floor.

"RON!" Ginny screamed.

Ron hit the ground hard and looked around in a daze. His baseball bat was out of reach. He could see Neville laying on the ground six feet ahead. Hagrid grabbed Neville by the front of the robes and lifted him high in the air, and then slammed his body back on the ground.

They met eyes for a second, Neville reaching for him.

Out the corner of his eye he could see the Inferi Professor McGonagall rushing towards him.

Ron grabbed the last knife in his belt.

* * *

Does he slide it to Neville, or keep it for himself?

VOTE!


End file.
